


Chloe and the Music Therapist

by AmyP91402, Another Bechloe Shipper (AmyP91402)



Series: Music Therapist Universe [1]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: Autism Spectrum, Eventual Romance, F/F, Music, music therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-02
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-01 09:38:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 36,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15140306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyP91402/pseuds/AmyP91402, https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyP91402/pseuds/Another%20Bechloe%20Shipper
Summary: AU: Chloe is a single mother of a small child with autism. She enrolls her in music therapy to help her progress. She didn't count on being extremely attracted to the music therapist. Chloe's daughter is based on my own daughter. The relationship is a story out of my own brain.





	1. Prologue

**Prologue, Part 1**

Chloe Beale had always wanted to be a mother. She was always playing house as a child with all of her dolls and stuffed animals. When she was a teenager, she babysat all of the neighborhood children at one time or another. She had several nieces and nephews (thanks to having three brothers, all of whom were married with kids), and she doted on them and spoiled them and loved them like they were her own.

By the time Chloe was 30, she still hadn't dated anyone she loved enough to settle down. She had a good job as a nurse practitioner for adults, and she finally decided to have a baby on her own. She selected a donor and was fortunate to get pregnant on the first try. Just three months before her 31st birthday, she gave birth to a little girl. She named her Megan Rose. She had beautiful sky blue eyes and red curly hair like her mother.

Chloe went back to work when Megan was 12 weeks old, sending Megan to a daycare near her office. She missed Megan but was happy to get back to her patients. Megan was a content baby, and the daycare workers simply adored the little girl.

When Megan was six months old, the pediatrician gave Chloe the okay to give her some baby food. She said if Megan did well with that, she could try to give her some finger foods. Megan did well with baby food, but she did not like finger foods at all. She would gag, sometimes to the point of vomiting, if anything solid went anywhere near her mouth. Chloe figured Megan simply wasn't ready and thought she'd try again in a few months.

By nine months old, Megan still wanted to no parts of anything thicker than baby food. Chloe brought it up to the pediatrician, and she was assured that gagging on solids was normal. Megan wasn't crawling yet, but the pediatrician said it was normal for babies not to crawl yet at her age.

Megan's first birthday came around, and she still wasn't interested in solid food. When Chloe gave Megan a small smash cake, Megan just cried. She didn't shove her hand in it like most children her age, and she made a face when Chloe's youngest brother Chris tried to get her to eat icing. Megan wasn't talking at this point, and she wasn't crawling or walking either. When she had her well visit, the pediatrician suggested Chloe look into some early intervention services to see if Megan qualified. The services would be provided by the local county, and they'd come to daycare to give them. Chloe made the call right away and scheduled an evaluation.

Chloe took the day off work when Megan's evaluation was scheduled. Unfortunately, Megan was not in one of her better moods that day. She was either fighting a cold or getting some new teeth, so she was really cranky. When the early intervention workers came in (a physical therapist and a nurse), Megan was crying most of the time. Chloe actually ended up putting Megan down for a nap about half an hour into the evaluation. The workers had to go on what Chloe could tell them about Megan for a lot of the categories because Megan was so upset. Based on what little they saw and what Chloe could tell them, Megan qualified for services. She would get physical therapy to help her learn to crawl and then walk, and she also qualified for occupational therapy to help her learn to accept solid foods. She appeared to also have a cognitive delay, so they'd be setting her up with a special educator. While Chloe was figuring on Megan having a delay in gross motor skills and eating, she had no idea there was any cognitive delay. She cried for at least an hour after the workers left. She blamed herself. What had she done wrong?

Chloe realized there was one change she had to make. She needed to find a job somewhere else. While Megan's therapy was covered by the county, she wanted to look into private therapy as well. Her current job's insurance didn't offer much coverage in the way of therapy. Chloe was able to find a job at a different practice that offered insurance that would help Chloe get more services for Megan. The practice was also willing to give Chloe the day off on Fridays so she could use that day to help her daughter. Chloe would miss her patients at her old practice, but Megan had to come first. She couldn't pass up the offer from the new practice, so she took it.

Megan progressed quickly in physical therapy. She was crawling within a month of getting weekly physical therapy. Her daycare workers were great about following the physical therapist's recommendations and sharing them with Chloe. Two months later, Megan took her first steps. Her physical therapist scaled back the frequency of her visits to twice a month rather than weekly.

However, progress was slow in every other area. Megan screamed and cried through feeding therapy, and she showed very little interest in her special education sessions. She still hadn't said a single word by eighteen months of age. She was able to sign the word "more." It was her only method of communication besides crying. It was frustrating for everyone. Chloe felt helpless. She loved her little girl so much, but she had no idea how she was going to get through to her. She held out hope, though, that somehow Megan would "catch up" with her peers.

By Megan's second birthday, she was doing a little better. She was running around at her birthday party. Her cousins were trying to get her to play, but Megan had no interest. She still didn't eat her cake. She did try a little icing, but that was it. She had progressed a little beyond baby food, but not much. Chloe could get Megan to eat pasta if it was very small, like Spaghetti-O's. Even homemade spaghetti had to be cut very small and practically drowning in the sauce for Megan to eat it. About a month after her second birthday, she finally said her first word, "cat."

At this point, Megan had started to get ear infections. It seemed just as one ear infection would clear, she'd have another one. She spent at least two or three months with one ear infection after another. She had stopped saying the one word she knew and had begun to reject any food other than baby food. Chloe took Megan to an ENT, and he recommended ear tubes to drain the fluid. Chloe agreed, and the surgery was scheduled shortly after.

Megan did well with the surgery and appeared a bit less cranky. However, her eating didn't go back to the way it had been. She also hadn't gotten her one word back. Chloe was frustrated and sad for her daughter. They'd worked so hard to make progress, and a string of ear infections seemed to take it away. Again, Chloe felt helpless.

When Megan was about 2 ½, the early intervention program recommended Chloe have one of their psychologists evaluate Megan for autism. She'd really started to show signs of it. Chloe agreed, figuring having a label might be helpful. It was clear that Megan wasn't going to "catch up" anytime soon. She'd also looked into some more intense therapy for her, and she'd have better luck acquiring funding for it with a diagnosis.

Dr. Stacie Conrad arrived at Chloe's house on a day that Megan happened to be in a good mood. She played with Megan for a while and asked Chloe a long series of questions about her daughter. Dr. Conrad was pleasant and wonderful, but she more or less made it clear that Megan appeared to be on the autism spectrum. She'd have the results back in a month or so, but she told Chloe to be emotionally prepared for the diagnosis. After she left, Chloe cried for a good hour or so. She knew that this was going to mean a much more difficult life for her little girl. She had so many hopes and dreams for her daughter, but she feared that autism would prevent a lot of them from happening. She didn't know a lot about autism, other than the little bit she'd seen in movies and on TV. In some ways, though, it was a relief. Megan was delayed because she was autistic. It wasn't because Chloe had done anything wrong. It was just the way she was. She resolved that she wasn't going to cry about it anymore after that, and she focused on helping her daughter.

Chloe told the daycare workers about the evaluation the next day. Ashley, one of the workers in Megan's daycare room, suggested Chloe look into music therapy for Megan. Ashley had a nephew who was autistic, and music therapy had been helpful. Megan seemed to enjoy music time at daycare, and she thought music therapy might be helpful. Ashley checked with her sister Denise and gave Chloe information for the Barden Bellas Music Therapy Company. She said that Denise had used a therapist named Beca, who was the owner of the company. Chloe took the information and planned to call them.

Dr. Conrad came back to the house a month later and confirmed Megan's autism diagnosis. Chloe had already emotionally prepared herself for the diagnosis, so she had come to terms with it before she had it on paper. Dr. Conrad gave her some ideas for places to get funding for therapy. Chloe did well financially at her job, and the insurance was good, but she was going to need some help.

* * *

**Prologue, Part 2**

Beca Mitchell had always been interested in music. For her 16th birthday, someone had bought her a music mixing program, and Beca had really enjoyed mixing different songs together to make mash-ups. In college, she made money on the side as a DJ for various nightclubs in the area.

She graduated from Barden University with a degree in music. She had a bit of a hard time finding work after that and relied heavily on her DJ work to pay the bills.

One day, her stepsister Emily asked her to drive her to a community service event her honor society was attending. Emily wasn't yet old enough to drive, and her mom and Beca's dad weren't available to drive her. Beca agreed. There was a special needs program on weekends at a nearby school, and Emily's honor society was volunteering there. The program said they could use more help, so Beca agreed to volunteer. One of the workers saw Beca's guitar case in the backseat of her car and asked if Beca would be willing to play her guitar for the children. Beca wasn't totally accustomed to interacting with children, so she agreed. It seemed like a more comfortable way for her to help.

Beca sat on a bench in the school gym and pulled out her guitar. Emily and a few of her friends walked some of the kids over to watch. Beca began to play her guitar and sing "The Wheels on the Bus." Many kids' faces lit up as they heard the familiar song. Several other kids walked over and watched Beca. Many of them did the hand motions with Emily and her friends while some of the kids just sat and swayed.

Beca played a few more familiar kid songs, and soon had almost all of the children sitting near her. One of the workers' jaw dropped in shock as a few of the kids who they'd considered non-verbal began to sing along with Beca.

As the program ended, one of the workers approached Beca. She thanked Beca for playing and singing for the kids. She asked Beca what she was doing for work. Beca explained that she'd just graduated college, and she hadn't been able to find work other than some DJ gigs. The worker suggested Beca look into becoming a music therapist. She explained that several of the kids who had been singing along with Beca hadn't ever spoken a word before. Beca was touched that her music had done this for the kids and thought it would be worth looking into the idea.

Beca did some research on music therapy and thought it would be good to try. However, this meant going to grad school. She didn't have the money to go back to school as she was barely paying the bills with her DJ gigs. She hated to bother her dad, but she called him anyway. She told him she wanted to go to grad school for music therapy. He agreed to help her. She'd spoken so passionately about how she'd reached several kids with her music that her dad couldn't help but agree to help her financially with grad school.

Beca got her master's degree and began her career as a music therapist in the local school system. She worked with a variety of children, and her methods usually helped her students. It was amazing how using songs and playing instruments could help children speak, learn important skills like the value of different coins, and sometimes it simply calmed them down.

After a few years with the school system, Beca opened up her own practice, the Barden Bellas Music Therapy Company, with other music therapists she had met in grad school. Beca and her friends Flo and Jessica had a solid practice. They did a lot of work in an office, but they would also come to clients' homes, schools, hospitals, etc. if need be.


	2. The First Session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm really excited by the reviews I've already received. Thanks for the kudos! I also want to note that my daughter never received private music therapy, so I may be inaccurate with some of the details. She's had it in groups, and I worked with a student who received it, but that's the experience I have with it. If anyone is a music therapist or has more info, please feel free to message me.

Chloe had made the call to the Barden Bellas Music Therapy Company. She was able to get an appointment with Beca, and she was excited to get the same therapist that had helped Ashley's nephew. Since Megan was uneasy in new places, Beca offered to come to Chloe's home. Chloe readily accepted, and they had an appointment for that Friday morning.

Chloe nervously fidgeted while waiting for Beca. She wasn't sure what to expect. Megan was in an okay mood that day. She was quietly playing with an Elmo doll on the floor, pushing his belly and listening to him laugh. Megan loved Elmo and all things that were red.

The doorbell rang right on time, and Chloe nervously answered it.

"Hi, I'm Beca Mitchell from Barden Bellas. Are you Mrs. Beale?"

"It's Miss, and you can call me Chloe."

Chloe couldn't help but stare at the gorgeous brunette in front of her. She was younger than Chloe, maybe by about five years if Chloe had to guess, and petite. She had beautiful dark blue eyes and carried herself confidently in her small frame. She wore black skinny jeans, black converse sneakers, a black tank top, and a purple and black flannel over it with the sleeves rolled up. She noticed a rainbow wristband and a tattoo of headphones on Beca's wrist. Chloe met Beca's eyes briefly and her cheeks turned pink. Chloe had been caught staring!

Chloe noticed Beca's eyes flit to her pink, purple, and blue wristband, and she saw Beca smirk at her. She'd been wearing the bisexual pride bracelet for a while, just a subtle one with the colors, but nobody had seemed to notice or comment. The smirk on Beca's face told Chloe that Beca knew exactly what it meant.

"Come in. Megan's in the living room playing on the floor," said Chloe.

Beca got down on the floor and sat next to Megan. "Hi, Megan. I'm Beca. What do you have there?" Megan didn't respond or even look up at Beca.

"I'm sorry," said Chloe. "She's a bit mesmerized by Elmo right now."

Beca waved a hand in dismissal. "It's okay. I work with kids like her all the time," she said. Beca started softly singing the theme from "Elmo's World" to try and capture Megan's attention. Megan stopped and looked at Beca. Beca began singing another song from Sesame Street. Megan smiled and continued to watch Beca. "Would you mind handing me my guitar?" she asked Chloe. Chloe handed her the guitar, and both she and Megan listened as Beca started to play and sing "Rainbow Connection." Chloe was taken by how beautiful Beca's singing was. Megan began to clap and giggle, and she looked Beca directly in the eyes. The eye contact only lasted about ten seconds, but Chloe was in awe.

"She never looks anyone in the eye, other than me on rare occasion," said Chloe.

"I'll take that as high praise, then. Thank you, Megan," said Beca. "I'm going to talk to your mommy for a few minutes while you play, okay?" Megan looked at Beca for a minute and then went back to the Elmo toy.

"How did you do that?" asked Chloe.

"Music did that," said Beca. "I think music therapy is really going to help her. What goals did you have in mind for her?"

"Well, she used to say 'cat' but she lost the word a few months ago."

"Sometimes I can get kids to speak through singing. We can work on that," said Beca.

"She doesn't always respond to her name."

"I'll work on a song and game to see if we can encourage her to do that," said Beca. "Anything else?"

"She doesn't color with crayons at all. Her occupational therapist has been trying, but Megan doesn't seem interested at all."

"I have a coloring song I can teach her. I find with kids like Megan, music helps them enjoy things they normally wouldn't so that they can complete their tasks."

"I had no idea music could do all that," said Chloe.

"It works for a lot of people, not just those with special needs," said Beca. "Do you ever sing or listen to music when you're doing something you hate? Like cleaning or doing paperwork?"

"All the time," said Chloe.

"That is why music therapy works so well for some people," said Beca.

"That makes sense," said Chloe.

"Great. I'll work with Megan a little more today, and I can come back next week if you like. I'll have written some goals for her, and we can see where we go from there."

"Awesome."

Beca sat down with Megan again. She continued to sing and play the guitar. She was mainly trying to get Megan to trust her more than anything else. Lucky for Beca, Megan was very interested in music. Chloe was captivated by the gorgeous woman, and the way she worked with Megan just made Chloe even more attracted to her.

* * *

Beca left Chloe's house and lost herself in her thoughts as she drove to her office. She'd had plenty of clients with attractive mothers, but nobody could hold a candle to Chloe. Beca wanted to be professional, but this was going to be tough. She had caught Chloe staring at her, or at least she thought she had. Chloe wore a bracelet with the bisexual pride colors, and she was pretty sure Chloe had noticed Beca's rainbow bracelet.

Beca tried to push those thoughts down. She couldn't date a client's mother, and she'd really taken a liking to little Megan. Megan had really responded to music, and Beca was optimistic she could get through to Megan that way.

She headed into the office, greeted Flo and Jessica, and sat down at her desk. She began to type some goals for Megan. Once she had those in place, she drafted a plan to help her achieve them. She still needed to spend more time with Megan to iron out some more details, but this was a good start. She'd spend the next session going over goals with Chloe and trying out various methods with Megan to see what worked best. Some kids preferred singing while others liked to play instruments with her. Megan was non-verbal, but Beca was optimistic that singing would break through the barrier. Usually, Beca got kids to sing words first and then the kids would start saying the words soon afterward.

After lunch, Beca had her weekly meeting with Flo and Jessica. They almost never saw clients on Friday afternoons to allow the group time to meet and discuss their clients. It was tremendously helpful if they put their heads together to share ideas on how to help various clients. It also helped to familiarize each other with different clients in case a therapist had to fill in for someone who was out.

The women discussed their existing clients first. They moved on to new clients. The only new client this week was Megan Beale. "I just saw Megan Beale this morning. She's two and a half, and she's so cute! She's autistic and non-verbal. She seems to really like Elmo and the color red. I sang a couple Sesame Street songs and got her attention."

"I have a few Sesame Street CDs I can loan you so you can try some more songs," said Jessica.

"What's she working on?" asked Flo.

"Her mom, Chloe, said she used to say the word 'cat' but she no longer says it. She also needs to work on coloring. I was going to use the coloring song to get her interested," said Beca.

"Sounds like a good start. There's a song about colors that Big Bird sings. I think it's on one of my CDs," said Jessica.

"Have you tried instruments with her yet?" asked Flo.

"Not yet. That was my plan for next week. I was thinking drums, toy xylophone, and tambourine. What do you think?" asked Beca.

"I think that's a good plan. Keep us posted," said Jessica.

They moved on to discussing other clients. It really was a group effort by all of the therapists. They'd been friends during grad school and seemed to click instantly. It made working together really fun. Their clients had the advantage of three people involved in their therapy, and this often led to new ideas.

Beca headed home, greeted her dog Treble, and gave him a treat. He was a sweet dog that she'd rescued from the local dog pound a few years ago. He was a little anxious around new people, but he was eager to please and generally well-behaved.

She walked Treble around the neighborhood, fed him, and made herself some dinner. Beca didn't mind living alone, especially with Treble around, but that evening she wished she'd been spending it with someone. She hadn't had a girlfriend in years, and hadn't been on a date in months. She wasn't a big fan of social media or dating apps, but she figured she'd have to sign up for something at some point. She didn't need to settle down yet, but she longed for companionship. She occasionally hung out at an LGBTQ+ club, but she hadn't been lucky enough for more than one or two dates with anyone she met there.


	3. The Second Session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and kudos! I was so nervous to post this story, but I'm really glad I did.

It was Friday again and that meant that it was Chloe's day home with Megan. She had scheduled Beca to come out right after breakfast. Megan still napped most afternoons, so Chloe tried to schedule Megan's therapy appointments in the morning. That day Megan had speech just before lunch, and Chloe hoped the two appointments that morning wouldn't wear her out to the point of falling asleep in the car before lunch. If Megan fell asleep in the car before lunch, she'd wake the minute Chloe parked the car. She'd whine through lunch, refuse to nap, and she was generally miserable the entire afternoon.

Megan was in a good mood that morning, and as luck would have it, Beca arrived within minutes of Chloe getting Megan cleaned up from breakfast.

Beca said, "Hi, Megan!" As usual, Megan didn't respond. Chloe looked at Beca apologetically, but Beca waved her hand in dismissal like she'd done the previous week. She grabbed her guitar, strummed a few times, and sang "Hello, Megan. Hello, Megan. Hello, Megan. I'm glad to see you here" to the tune of "Good night, ladies." Megan looked right at Beca and smiled and clapped.

Chloe's eyes widened. This was so unusual for her daughter to respond.

"You can try singing that with her when I'm not around and see if it helps," said Beca. Chloe was still surprised, so she just nodded.

"Let's say hello to Mommy!" exclaimed Beca. Megan looked at Beca but didn't respond. Beca began to sing "Hello Mommy" the same way she'd sung to Megan earlier. Megan smiled at Beca, and then looked over at Chloe.

Chloe smiled back and said, "Hi, Megan." Megan smiled at her mother. It was probably the most eye contact Chloe had seen her daughter make with her. It wasn't more than a minute, but it felt like forever to Chloe. She was so grateful.

Beca reached into her bag and handed Chloe a piece of paper. "I wrote up some goals and ideas for Megan. You take a look while I work with her. I have her attention, so I want to see what I can do before I lose it," said Beca.

Chloe looked over the paper. It listed some goals for Megan. The first one was responding to her name. The exact method Beca had just used was on the paper. Another goal was getting Megan to sing the word "cat." One method was singing "Old McDonald" and using a stuffed cat to encourage Megan to sing the word and understand its meaning. The goal to get Megan to color had a few methods suggested. There was a "coloring song" that Beca and her colleagues had created. There was also a song about colors that Big Bird sang. It was called "Just Three Colors" and Chloe vaguely remembered hearing it as a child.

Chloe was happy with these goals as a start. Megan was still very young, and she knew it was best to start small. She smiled as she watched Beca work with Megan. She couldn't help but sneak a glance when Beca bent over to pick up an instrument and hand it to Megan. She managed to look away before Beca caught her that time, or at least she hoped she had.

Megan seemed to really enjoy the toy xylophone. She happily banged on it with the toy mallet, only hitting the red pieces. She had some mild interest in the drum, and she didn't like the tambourine at all. Beca handed it to her, and she immediately threw it across the room. Chloe went to scold her, but Beca stopped her. "It's okay," said Beca. "Right now she can't communicate any other way. Once we get her communicating better, we can work on her refusing more appropriately." Chloe nodded.

"I saw you wanted to use a stuffed cat to help her get the word back. There's one in her room. Do you want me to get it?" asked Chloe.

"Sure. I'll sit with Megan," said Beca.

Chloe returned quickly with the cat. Beca tapped the xylophone and began to sing. She placed extra emphasis on the word "cat" and held up the stuffed cat when she sang it. Megan didn't respond, but she paid attention. "I think Mommy should sing with us," said Beca.

"Of course," Chloe said, smiling. The two women sang again, still using "cat" as the animal so they could help Megan understand the word. Megan happily banged on the xylophone with Beca but still didn't say anything.

"That's a good start," said Beca. "I think that's enough for today. We'll work on the other goal next week. I don't want to overwhelm her. She's starting to trust me, but she needs more time."

"Thanks," said Chloe. She shook Beca's hand. She ended up staring into Beca's eyes again. What was she doing? This woman was there to work with Megan, and she couldn't imagine someone that gorgeous wasn't already taken.

Beca smiled back at Chloe and then it turned into the same smirk she'd worn when she'd caught Chloe staring earlier. Chloe's cheeks turned pink again. She scolded herself internally. This was so inappropriate, and she really needed to push these feelings down. Beca was there to work with Megan, and that was it. Chloe could enjoy the eye candy, but she needed to tone it down a bit or she'd scare Beca off.

* * *

Beca drove back to the office for her next appointment. On her way back, she smiled to herself. She'd caught Chloe staring again. Still, there really wasn't anything she could do about it. It would be unprofessional to ask her out on a date. Besides, even though Chloe wasn't married, she very well could still be involved with Megan's father or someone else. Megan had Chloe's last name, so Beca figured she probably wasn't, but that wasn't her business. She told herself not to think about it and was partially successful in doing so by focusing on her next client.

Her next client was a sweet boy named Benji. He loved Pokemon, and Beca had learned all about the cards and characters with some help from Flo and Jessica. They made up several songs involving Pokemon to help him achieve his goals. Flo had a brother just a little older than Benji, and he was helpful in teaching the three women what he felt they should know about Pokemon. Benji was learning about the value of coins, and the women had made up a song about the characters and their cards to help him learn the coins. Beca felt a little silly singing about Pikachu and a dime, but it worked. Benji was able to repeat back the values of the various coins at school more consistently every week. His mother Denise couldn't be happier with his progress, and she felt it was worth taking him out of school briefly every Friday morning to work with Beca.

After lunch, the three ladies had their weekly meeting. When it came time to discuss Megan, Beca thought hard about whether or not to mention Chloe staring at her. She decided to keep it to herself for now. It really hadn't been a problem, exactly, so she thought it best to leave it for now. It might have also been because Beca couldn't deny her attraction to Chloe. "So, I found out today that Megan likes the xylophone," said Beca.

"Let me guess. She likes the red pieces," said Jessica.

"Sure does," said Beca, laughing. "She liked the drum okay, but definitely not the tambourine. If you work with her, don't even bring it with you. She threw it across the room."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Flo. "How did it go today?"

"I did the hello song," Beca said. "She looked right at me and smiled and clapped. I then sang it with the word 'Mommy' instead of 'Megan' and she looked right at Chloe. I thought Chloe was going to melt."

"Awwww..." said Jessica. "That's too cute. Definitely keep working on that one."

"We also worked on getting her to say 'cat.' She didn't say it, but she looked right at the stuffed cat when we sang it," said Beca.

"We?" asked Flo.

"Well, her mom seemed to want to participate, so..." said Beca. She could feel her face turning red.

"Then why are you blushing?" asked Jessica with a knowing grin.

"Ummm...no reason," said Beca.

"Liar," laughed Flo.

"I'm guessing Megan's not the only cute girl living in that house," said Jessica.

"No, she's definitely not," said Beca, sighing. Flo and Jessica just looked at her expectantly. "Okay, her mom is hot. Seriously hot. And I might have noticed a pink, purple, and blue bracelet on her wrist."

Flo and Jessica just laughed.

"You've got it bad, Beca," said Flo. "Want me to take the case?"

"No," said Beca. "I'm just starting to get Megan to trust me. I'm going to have to suck it up for now. It's probably just a crush. I'm going through a dry spell right now."

"Whatever you say," said Flo. "Offer still stands if you change your mind."

Beca playfully slapped Flo's arm. "Cut it out," she said. "I can control myself." Flo and Jessica just laughed again. Neither one of them had ever seen Beca do very well controlling herself around a cute girl.

The three women ended their meeting, and Beca headed home as usual. She was greeted by a very happy Treble.

She chatted with Treble while she poured him a bowl of food.

"Treble, what am I going to do? I met an amazing woman, but she's the mom of my new client. I'm getting through to the little girl, but I am having a hard time burying my feelings for her mom. What do you think, boy?"

Treble just wagged his tail and ate his food. "You're no help," said Beca, laughing.

She took him to the dog park for a while. Jessica and her boyfriend Bryan were there with their dog, Harmony. The two dogs got along well, and Beca had a great time chatting with Jessica and Bryan. Beca watched the two of them and was a little jealous. She wanted what they had, and the only person she was interested in dating happened to be the mom of her newest client. Life wasn't fair.

Harmony and Treble got tired of playing and both were laying down in the grass. "I think it's probably time I get Treble home," said Beca. "Thanks for wearing him out," she said to Harmony. Harmony wagged her tail at Beca.

She walked Treble home. "You sure do have it easy, Treble. You don't have to worry about dating or work or anything. You have a human to give you your meals and your exercise. You can play with any dog you want." Treble just wagged his tail happily.


	4. Real Progress Begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks so much for all the positive feedback! I can't promise I'll update every day (life gets in the way), but I'll try to update regularly.

_One month later_

Beca was doing very well professionally. She had a lot of clients for her music therapy business, all different with different needs and approaches. The local children's hospital had also hired them to do a weekly group session for their inpatients. She was still able to keep some of Friday afternoons free to meet with Flo and Jessica, but they'd had to shorten the meetings just a little to squeeze in some clients. They just couldn't turn anyone away if they thought they could help them. The trio was pretty creative, so they usually figured out a way to help everyone who pursued music therapy.

Personally, her life was about the same. She was great friends with Flo and Jessica, but she rarely spent time with them outside of work. Occasionally she'd run into Jessica at the dog park or Flo at the grocery store, but Flo and Jessica had their own lives and both had boyfriends. Beca always felt like the "third wheel" when hanging out with them. Her dog Treble kept her company, but it was hardly the same as having a girlfriend. She knew she should probably go out and try to find someone to date, but she kept talking herself out of it. She would tell herself she was too busy with all of her clients, but she was making excuses. She was really, really interested in Chloe Beale, but she didn't want to pursue a client's mother.

She'd been working with Megan for a month now. Megan had begun to appropriately respond to her name during the hello song. She'd look directly at the stuffed cat when they sang Old McDonald. The coloring goal was taking a little longer. She was at the point where she would hold the crayon now, but she still didn't want to mark the paper. Megan really liked banging on the xylophone, and Beca got her to hit a color other than red a few times. It was slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Beca still saw Chloe, but Chloe had backed off quite a bit during Megan's sessions. She was generally in the next room on her laptop. She said she was working on her patient charts, but Beca had a feeling she was trying to avoid staring at her. Beca had hoped it would lessen her feelings for Chloe, but it hadn't worked yet. She made a mental note to talk to Flo and Jessica at the meeting that afternoon. They generally only spoke about the clients during their meetings, but Beca really needed to talk to someone about her feelings. Flo and Jessica were her best friends, so maybe they could help her sort things out.

She pulled up to Chloe's house and took a deep breath. Her feelings for Chloe, like always, came bubbling to the surface every single time she was over there. She willed herself to keep control for Megan's sake.

"Hi, Chloe. Hello, Megan," said Beca. Megan looked directly at Beca. "Good looking!" exclaimed Beca. She noticed Chloe's eyes welling up with tears. "What's wrong, Chloe?" she asked.

"Nothing's wrong. Megan just responded to her name without you having to sing!" Chloe exclaimed. Before she knew it, she threw her arms around Beca for a tight hug. "You are a miracle worker," she said.

"It's all due to hard work. I can tell you've been singing the song at home," said Beca, smiling. Chloe nodded. "It shows."

Beca sang the hello song to Chloe (calling her Mommy, of course), and Megan looked right at Chloe and smiled. "That's right, Megan. That's Mommy! Good job!" exclaimed Beca.

Beca could see Chloe's eyes welling up again. Beca was mesmerized by Chloe's eyes, and seeing them well up with tears squeezed Beca's heart. She knew it was because Chloe was happy. Beca had to bite her lip to avoid the urge to wipe those tears away and plant a kiss on Chloe's lips. "Oh, boy," thought Beca. "I'm seriously going to have to cool it or I'm going to cross a line with Chloe."

"Let's work on coloring," said Beca. Megan saw the crayon and turned away. She hated coloring, but it was important that she develop the skill to mark on a paper. It would be years before she'd try to write anything, but she needed to start with crayons now to develop the pre-writing skills.

The "coloring song" that Beca and her colleagues had written hadn't been doing the trick for Megan. Beca thought it would be a good time to try another method. "Chloe, do you have a CD player I can use? Normally I play instruments, but I think this might work a little better with Big Bird singing it."

Chloe grabbed a small boom box from Megan's room. "Here," said Chloe. "This one works. I play music for Megan on it all the time."

"Thanks." Beca loaded a CD that Jessica had loaned her with songs sung by Big Bird. She cued up the track for "Just Three Colors." She grabbed a crayon and a piece of paper for herself and made a big show of giving Chloe a crayon and a piece of paper. She started the song and began to sing along with Big Bird:

 _Just three colors_  
_Red and yellow and blue_  
_Enough to make a rainbow  
_ _For me and for you_

Megan looked as Beca and Chloe were "coloring" on their papers. She grabbed the red crayon and tapped the paper with it.

"Good coloring!" exclaimed Beca. "I'll keep the song playing while you color."

Megan tapped the paper a few more times with the crayon before dropping it and getting up to walk away. Beca turned off the music.

"Hey, it's progress," said Beca.

"Yeah, it's more than I've ever gotten her to do with a crayon," said Chloe.

"Okay, Megan. I have to go. I'll see you and your Mommy next week," said Beca. Megan looked up at Beca for a few seconds and went to go play with her Elmo toy.

"Thanks so much," said Chloe.

"My pleasure," said Beca. "Megan's a special little girl."

This time Beca caught herself staring at Chloe. She had no idea how a pair of eyes such a gorgeous shade of blue could exist on an actual human being. Chloe was so expressive with them, and she'd teared up so much at today's appointment. Those eyes were going to be the death of Beca.

Beca headed to the office for her weekly meeting. Flo had come up with the idea of the three women having lunch together on Fridays and beginning the meeting at that point. That would leave extra time to meet.

"Before we discuss our clients, I really think we need to find another therapist to add to the business," said Jessica.

"We have so many clients right now that we're having to shorten our meetings. I'm worried we won't have time to discuss everyone," said Flo.

"Anyone know a music therapist looking for work?" asked Beca.

"I got an email from Aubrey the other day," said Jessica. "Remember her? She was our mentor back in grad school."

"You mean our drill sergeant," said Beca, rolling her eyes.

"She wasn't that bad," said Flo.

"You were on her good side," said Beca. "Aubrey kept telling me my tattoos and ear spike would scare little children."

"So, she was wrong about that," said Jessica. "She also had a real gift with the kids. She's been working at the school system in her hometown, but she's moving here."

"She'd be a great addition," said Flo.

"I'll think about it," said Beca. "Jessica, could you please forward me her e-mail, or at least pass on her contact information?"

"Sure," said Jessica.

They discussed their clients for a while. They suggested ideas to each other for some of their new clients, and then Beca brought up Megan.

"I had a great session with Megan Beale today," said Beca. "I said hello to her without the song and she looked right at me. Her mom hugged me and called me a miracle worker."

"And you hated that," said Jessica, jokingly.

Beca blushed. "Ummm...let me finish talking about the session before you guys pick on me. Anyway, the colors song from Sesame Street got Megan to color a little."

"Big Bird is magical," said Jessica.

"Megan thinks so," said Beca. "She only marked the paper a couple times, but that's the first time I've had any luck with that."

"That's awesome," said Flo. Jessica nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," said Beca. "But I am having a really hard time controlling myself around Chloe. Lately, she's been in a different room, but she was there for most of today's session. I kept things professional, even when she hugged me, but I'm really struggling. I admit it. I'm into her, and I don't know what to do."

"I said I could take the case," said Flo.

"I know, but I've made progress with Megan. I'm worried the change might set her back."

"Then I don't know what to tell you," said Flo.

Beca sighed. She didn't know what to tell herself either.

* * *

Chloe scolded herself after Beca left. Why did she hug Beca like that? She was excited, of course, but she had forgotten herself for a minute and had thrown her arms around her daughter's very hot music therapist. She had thought she caught Beca staring at her at the end of the session, but Chloe told herself she was imagining things. Besides, she couldn't date Beca. Even if Beca was single, she was sure Beca wouldn't date a client's mom.

She decided she absolutely needed to be out of the room as much as possible if she was going to control herself and have Megan continue to progress. Music therapy was helping her so much, and the early intervention workers had noticed. It still wasn't helping Megan eat better, but she was progressing much faster in the rest of the areas. She couldn't wait to tell the occupational therapist about the crayon breakthrough. She even looked online and downloaded the color song Beca had used so the OT could try it with her.

She fed Megan her lunch, put her down for a nap, and then called her mother. She updated her on Megan's progress and then told her about her predicament with Beca.

"So, I think I might have a problem," said Chloe. "I hugged Beca really tightly after I saw Megan respond to her name."

"You were excited. What's wrong with that?" asked her mom.

"Did I mention Beca's gorgeous?" asked Chloe.

"More than a few times," said her mother, laughing.

"I think I'm falling for her, Mom," said Chloe.

"Are you sure it's not just because she's so good with Megan?" asked her mom.

"I don't know, maybe."

"That's probably it. Just keep your distance during Megan's appointments, and I'm sure you can handle it."

"I'll try. Thanks, Mom."

Chloe hung up and distracted herself by working on patient charts. It was easiest to do this when Megan napped. She hated plopping Megan in front of the TV so she could catch up on work, especially when she only had one day home with her during the week.

She finished her paperwork and was just getting herself a drink when Megan woke up.

"Nice nap?" she asked Megan as she got her out of her toddler bed and went to change her diaper. Megan looked at her. "Good looking at me," she praised.

It was nice out, so she put Megan in the stroller and walked her to the neighborhood park. Megan was fearful of most of the playground equipment, but she loved to swing. The park in Chloe's neighborhood had quite a few baby swings, and there was usually a free one at this time of day.

She walked to the park and was lucky to find one of the baby swings was free. She put Megan in, and Megan giggled as Chloe pushed her in the swing.

The child in the swing next to Megan appeared to be about the same age. His mother began to chat with Chloe.

"How old is your daughter?" she asked.

"She'll be three in a few months," Chloe answered. "I'm Chloe, by the way, and this is Megan."

"Hi, I'm Gail," she said. "This is John. He just turned three."

While Chloe considered herself to be very sociable, sometimes she hated meeting other parents of children Megan's age. While nobody ever meant to say anything hurtful, she always felt awkward talking to parents of typical children Megan's age. They were usually venting about potty training while Megan was nowhere near ready, or complaining that their child never shuts up. Chloe would be thrilled to have that problem with her daughter.

"Have you found a preschool for her yet?" asked Gail.

"Oh...well...no," said Chloe.

"John just got into Little Barden Academy. They have very few openings left, so you should apply if you want her to go there," said Gail with a bit of arrogance.

"Thanks," said Chloe. "I'll look into it." Chloe had no intention of even considering the Little Barden Academy. Just the way Gail said it, made her think that there was no way this school had a special needs program.

"They took John right away," said Gail. "He already knows his letters and colors. He can even spell his name."

Chloe suppressed an eye roll. She was reluctant to tell people that Megan was autistic. She wasn't embarrassed about it at all, but she hated the ridiculous assumptions people made the minute she used the term.

"Oh, that's great," said Chloe.

"I've had tutors working with him for a year. I can give you their information if you want," said Gail.

"No, that's okay," said Chloe.

"All done, Mommy," said John. Gail lifted her son out of the baby swing. "John, this is Miss Chloe. Tell Miss Chloe how you spell your name."

"J-O-H-N," said John. Gail beamed. Chloe cringed inwardly. Bragging mothers were the worst!

"Are you sure you don't want the information on his tutor?" asked Gail.

"I'm sure. I don't think it's right for Megan."

"Well, if you don't want to give her a head start, that's none of  _my_ business." Chloe was fuming at this point.

She took a deep breath and said, "That's not it. Megan's autistic."

"Oh, I'm  _so_ sorry," said Gail. "So, what's her special talent?"

"Her what?"

"Her talent? Can't she play an instrument or do math or something?"

"Umm...no. She's two."

"But don't autistic people have a special talent?"

"That's not really how that works."

"But my friend said..." said Gail.

"I don't care what your friend said," said Chloe, cutting her off. "It doesn't apply to Megan."

"Are you sure?" asked Gail.

"I think I know my own daughter," said Chloe. Megan began to fuss. It was one of the few times Chloe was relieved to hear her daughter complain. "I think Megan's done. I need to get her home."

Chloe left before Gail could say anything else. It drove her crazy how many weird assumptions people made about autism. Megan was a little girl, not some circus freak. Why couldn't people just see Megan as a little girl rather than someone with a label?


	5. Weekend Activities

It was Saturday. Chloe had errands to run that day, and she knew she'd better get them done in the morning. Megan was a bear if she missed her nap, and Chloe had promised her older brother Steven that they'd attend her niece's fourth birthday party that evening. Chloe was happy to be spending time with her family that evening, but she usually felt uncomfortable around her brother and sister-in-law's friends. They all had typical kids, and while nobody was mean, she felt like an outsider. Their days weren't filled with juggling therapy appointments, and they didn't have to make sure that they had several jars of baby food with them anytime they took their children out. They were almost all married stay-at-home moms, and Chloe couldn't relate to that either.

After breakfast, she got Megan dressed and headed to the store. Megan was usually pretty good at the grocery store, but Chloe didn't like dragging Megan there. She always felt weird about having to buy a lot of baby food. Megan was obviously too big to still be eating it. Nobody had ever commented on it, but Chloe was very self-conscious about it.

Chloe got her usual amount of baby food, which was a lot, and her usual things. She got a birthday card for her niece and got into the checkout line. She loaded the groceries on the conveyor belt and the cashier took a look at Megan. She said, "Whose baby food is this? How old is she?" in a really nasty tone.

Chloe was really upset. "It's hers, and she's two."

The cashier said, "You know you can give her regular food, right?" in the same nasty tone she'd used before.

"It's this or she won't eat," said Chloe. "She's autistic."

The cashier didn't say anything else, but Chloe had a sneaking suspicion the cashier didn't understand at all. Chloe made a mental note to contact the manager after she got home. She didn't want to get anyone fired, but she wanted to make sure the cashier knew it was inappropriate to comment about a customer's purchase.

She headed to the toy store on her way home. Chloe's niece Ella was really into Barbie dolls, so she picked a cute one and bought it for her. She would have ordinarily bought her more than just the one doll, but her sister-in-law had asked everyone to go easy on the gifts. Ella had so much, and a four-year-old really didn't care what you spent on her gift anyway.

Chloe managed to get home in time to put away groceries and feed Megan lunch before her nap. She didn't want to bring Megan to a birthday party if she was super cranky.

She wrapped Ella's gift while Megan slept and took a rare moment to relax. She was always so busy with work and juggling Megan's therapy appointments that she usually didn't get much time to herself. She found herself watching something on Netflix, and then she remembered to call the grocery store. The manager wasn't in, so she left a message. She wasn't terribly optimistic that they'd call back, but she figured it was worth a try.

Megan woke up and Chloe put her in the stroller. They took a short walk around the neighborhood, this time skipping the park. Chloe wasn't in the mood to deal with the other parents, and the park was usually crowded on Saturdays. She didn't want Megan having a meltdown if all the swings were occupied.

After their walk, Chloe fed Megan some dinner before they headed to Ella's birthday party. The birthday party was the usual chaos. There were kids running around everywhere, parents chatting, and it was pretty loud. Megan fussed a little once they got there, but Chloe was able to distract her with an Elmo doll. She greeted her brothers and her parents before finding herself sitting alone with Megan in her lap. Chloe's brother and sister-in-law had rented a bounce house, but Megan wasn't interested. The noise was upsetting, and she was uneasy trying to walk on an unfamiliar surface. Megan's cousins were all busy running around with the other kids, so nobody really paid much attention to Chloe or Megan. Chloe loved Ella and all of her nieces and nephews, but these events were isolating. It made Megan's differences so much more obvious.

Megan was quiet when it came time to sing Happy Birthday. She was watching the candles flicker and she loved hearing people sing. She joined in when everyone clapped, and Chloe was impressed. One of the other parents handed Megan a plate with cake on it. Before Chloe could say anything, Megan stuck her hand in the piece of cake. She then began to scream and cry because there was cake on her hand. Chloe did her best to remove Megan from the area and get her changed and cleaned before a huge scene was made. Lucky for Chloe, her youngest brother Chris was able to explain some things to the other people who didn't already know them. Chloe was relieved that nobody asked questions when she brought back a cleaner and calmer Megan. She fed Megan some applesauce while the other kids ate cake.

When it was time to open presents, Megan sat nicely on Chloe's lap and played with her Elmo doll. Ella squealed when she saw that Aunt Chloe had gotten her a Barbie doll! She got a nice hug and an enthusiastic "Thank you" from Ella, which was all Chloe wanted anyway. She and Megan left shortly after Ella opened their present because Megan was getting tired. Chloe wasn't interested in trying to keep a tired toddler happy, and everyone understood.

Chloe got Megan home and put her to bed. She spent the evening watching more Netflix before going to bed herself.

Sunday was a typical day for Chloe. She headed to church, dropping Megan in the nursery area. One of the volunteers in the nursery was experienced with autistic children, so they had been great with her. Chloe liked going to church, but that was mainly because her entire family attended the same church. Her oldest nieces and nephews participated in the children's choir, and it melted Chloe's heart to hear them sing every week.

They had lunch at the church after Chloe picked Megan up from the nursery. Everyone was familiar with Chloe and Megan at church, so it was a place where they felt accepted and nobody pestered Chloe with annoying questions. People would occasionally ask her how Megan's therapy was going, but Chloe never minded those questions. The questions came from a place of genuine interest, and a lot of people were really impressed with the help music therapy had given Megan.

Chloe got Megan home and down for a nap. She caught up on the house cleaning that normally fell by the wayside when she was working a lot. She packed Megan's daycare bag for the week, making sure she had enough baby food, spoons, diapers, and clean clothes. Megan was up from her nap just as Chloe was finishing.

Chloe thought it might be worth trying to get Megan to color again. She gave Megan a crayon, which Megan ignored. She played the song from that week's music therapy session on her phone, and Megan picked up the crayon and marked the paper a few times. Chloe praised Megan and was pleased to see her continue for the better part of a minute before dropping the crayon.

She sat Megan in her lap and read her a book about cats. Megan looked at the book but didn't respond. She then sang "Old McDonald" like Beca had been doing for the last month, and she heard Megan say "ca" when Chloe pointed to the cat. She wasn't sure this was anything more than wishful thinking, so she tried again. Again, Megan said "ca" when Chloe pointed to the cat. "Good talking!" Chloe exclaimed. She couldn't wait to tell her family and show Beca that Friday.

* * *

Beca spent Friday evening at an LGBTQ+ club. She chatted with a cute blonde for a bit. They ended up grinding on the dance floor for a while. The two women started getting handsy, so Beca invited the girl back to her place before the two of them got themselves thrown out for inappropriate behavior.

Beca found herself pushed up against the door as soon as they got into the house. The blonde kissed Beca hard, and Beca kissed back hungrily. The blonde started right where she'd left off at the club with her hands on Beca when Beca heard Treble whining in his crate. Beca broke the kiss.

"That's my dog, Treble. Let me go take care of him real quick. My bedroom's at the end of the hall. I'll meet you there in a few minutes." The blonde nodded, and Beca let Treble out of his crate. She petted him, took him out to do his business, and then put him back in his crate for the night. Beca usually let Treble sleep in her bed, but she didn't allow that when she brought women home. Treble whined, but she handed him a treat in his crate and he quieted down.

Beca went into her room to find the blonde had made herself comfortable in Beca's bed. Beca climbed into bed next to the girl. "Sorry about that," said Beca. "Now where were we?" The blonde turned toward Beca and began kissing and groping her again. One thing led to another, and Beca's "dry spell" was over.

Beca woke up Saturday morning alone. She wasn't even all that disappointed to find the blonde gone as she couldn't even recall her name. Beca wasn't even sure she'd asked. Beca wasn't generally into one night stands, but it had been several months since she'd seen any action. She wasn't proud of what she'd done, but she was only human after all. She was also secretly hoping that it might lessen her feelings for Chloe. Of course, as soon as that thought entered her head, she realized it hadn't done her any good at all in that department. She really was in trouble when it came to Chloe Beale.

That morning, Beca tried to clean the house a bit after breakfast. She hated cleaning, but her house was a mess and she was nearly out of clean underwear. She threw in a load of laundry and cleaned her bathroom. She loaded up the dishwasher and then relaxed for a while. She'd agreed to meet Jessica and Harmony at the dog park after lunch. She texted Jessica to settle on a time. She had her lunch and then put a very excited Treble on a leash and walked to the dog park.

She got to the park around the same time as Jessica. Treble and Harmony had a great time chasing each other around the dog park. Beca and Jessica sat on a bench to chat while the dogs played together.

"How was your night?" Jessica asked.

"It was okay. I went to the club," said Beca.

"Oh?" Jessica asked, intrigued.

"I met a cute blonde," said Beca.

"What's her name?" asked Jessica.

"I have no idea," said Beca, blushing and burying her face in her hands.

Jessica laughed. "No more 'dry spell' I take it?"

"No," said Beca, still blushing.

"Then why don't you look happier?" asked Jessica.

"I was hoping I could blame my attraction to Chloe on the dry spell, but that's clearly not it," said Beca.

"Oh," said Jessica. "You should probably let Flo take the case, or maybe Aubrey. Have you talked to her?"

"I e-mailed Aubrey this morning, so I'm sure I'll hear back soon. So, how was your night?"

"It was good. We ordered pizza and watched Netflix, so it was pretty chill," said Jessica.

"Netflix and chill, you mean?" joked Beca.

"You could say that," said Jessica. "Except we did watch Netflix first." Jessica giggled.

"So, things with Bryan are good?" asked Beca.

"Yup. Great, really. We make each other happy," said Jessica.

The two women sat in comfortable silence as Treble and Harmony continued to play. The dogs were just as good friends as the two women. Once the dogs seemed tired, the women parted ways.

Beca went home, fed Treble, and then got on her laptop and worked on a music mix. She still enjoyed creating mash-ups, but her work in music therapy generally didn't allow much time for that. She ended up working on the mix for the rest of the evening, only taking a break to eat dinner. She headed to bed, and she could see Treble was happy to have his spot in her bed back.

A hungry Treble woke her up Sunday morning by licking her face. Beca laughed and then fed him and took him outside to do his business. She spent most of Sunday changing her music mix around. She was so engrossed in her mix that she nearly forgot she'd planned to go to her father's place for dinner.

Beca grabbed a bottle of wine to take with her, put Treble in his crate, and headed to her father's house. She was greeted at the door by a very excited Emily. Emily was excited by just about everything, but Beca was used to it now.

Beca handed her stepmom, Sheila, the bottle of wine, greeted her father, and then sat in the living room to catch up with Emily.

"Hey, Beca, I got my prom dress today!" exclaimed Emily, nearly bubbling over with excitement.

"Awesome, who's your date?" asked Beca.

"I don't have one. A bunch of my friends and I are going together. We'll just hang out ourselves. We don't need dates," replied Emily.

"I've taught you well," said Beca. Emily just smiled back. Sheila called the girls into the dining room.

Beca looked over at Emily's place at the table and saw Sheila had poured just a small amount of wine. Before Beca could comment, Sheila said, "We have something to celebrate today."

"I got a full scholarship to Barden!" exclaimed Emily.

"That's great, Em. You'll love it there!" exclaimed Beca.

"So, we're letting Emily have just a little bit of wine so we can toast her," said Beca's dad.

"To Emily's scholarship. Cheers," said Sheila. They all clinked glasses.

Emily chattered on excitedly about starting college. She was going to major in special education, and she was hoping to join an a capella group on campus. She then moved on to telling Beca all about her plan with her friends to attend the prom together. After dinner, Emily dragged Beca up to her room to model the prom dress. It was all black and long, and Emily was going to wear heels. She was a good six inches taller than Beca without heels.

"You look gorgeous, Em. I'm going to need stilts to see you when you wear those heels." Emily just giggled.

She and Emily went back to the living room to talk to Beca's dad and Sheila. They asked about Beca's music therapy business. Beca was talking about hiring her old mentor, and then she found herself talking about Megan. "She's adorable, and her mom Chloe is great," said Beca, her cheeks turning pink.

Emily immediately noticed her stepsister's blush, and couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her. "Just...great, Beca?"

"Yeah," she said quickly, turning a bit redder.

"How great?" she pressed on.

"Okay, her mom is hot," said Beca. She buried her face in her hands.

Emily, Sheila, and Beca's dad just laughed. None of them had ever seen Beca able to control herself around a cute girl.

"How's that working for you?" her dad teased.

Beca groaned. "About as well as it always does when I'm around a cute girl," she said. "What do I do? Her mom is so hot, and I know she's bi. I am dying to take her out on a date, but I can't do that while I have Megan on my caseload."

"You said you were going to hire Aubrey. You told me before how great Aubrey is with kids. Could Aubrey take her?" asked Sheila.

"I don't know," said Beca. "Megan is autistic, and Chloe said she doesn't do well with change. I'd hate to erase all the progress we've already made."

"I know, but your feelings count too. I want to see you happy, Beca," said her dad. "It's been years since you have brought a girl around here."

"It's been years since there's been someone to bring around here," said Beca.

It was getting late, so Beca said her goodbyes and headed home. She let Treble out and then checked her e-mail. Aubrey had replied to Beca's e-mail asking about her interest in a job at Barden Bellas Music Therapy Company. Aubrey was moving to their town that week, so Beca decided to invite Aubrey to their Friday lunch meeting. She could hear about current clients, and they could offer her a job if she wanted one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The incident in the grocery store was something I experienced in real life. Thankfully, it only happened maybe twice, but that's still two times too many.


	6. A Mistake?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for the support of this fic! It makes me so happy!

 It was Friday again, and Chloe and Megan were going to be busy. Megan had private speech right after breakfast and music therapy with Beca shortly afterward.

Megan's speech pathologist was thrilled to hear that Megan had been trying to say "cat" again. Chloe told her she owed it all to music therapy.

Chloe got Megan home and had her settled just before Beca knocked on the door. "Hi, Beca. Megan's in her usual spot. I'm going to be in the next room getting some work done," said Chloe.

"Great," said Beca. She sat down next to Megan. "Hello, Megan," she said.

Megan looked at Beca and smiled and clapped.

"I'm happy to see you, too, Megan," said Beca, grinning. She pulled out the xylophone and guitar. She played some songs on the guitar while Megan happily banged away on the xylophone. She only hit the red pieces this time, but she was participating.

Once Megan tired of the xylophone, Beca took out the crayons and began to work with her on coloring. Megan tapped the crayon on the paper a bit longer than she'd done the previous week. Beca was really proud of Megan and praised her a lot.

Beca called over to Chloe to ask her to bring the stuffed cat into the room for her. Chloe returned with the stuffed cat and said, "Megan has something to show you."

Megan looked at the cat and said "ca!" Beca was so surprised! She knew Megan understood the word, but she'd never heard her say it before.

"When did she start saying 'cat' again?" asked Beca.

"Last weekend," said Chloe. "I was singing with her like you do, and she said it. I actually thought my ears were playing tricks on me, but she's said it every time since then."

"That's amazing," said Beca.

"I owe it all to you," said Chloe.

"It's obvious how hard you have worked with Megan. One session with me per week isn't going to do it. You practice with her at home and it shows. Give yourself some credit," said Beca.

Chloe shrugged. Beca brought out the guitar and sang "Old McDonald" with Megan. Every time she was supposed to say "cat," she did.

Megan was starting to yawn, so Beca ended the session a little early. "You did such a good job today!" Beca told Megan.

Chloe took Beca's hands in hers, looked deep into Beca's eyes, and said, "Thank you so much for everything you do for Megan." Before even Chloe knew what was happening, she leaned in and kissed Beca. Beca let out a small squeal in shock before kissing back. Chloe broke the kiss and said, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me."

Beca smiled and said, "It's okay. I'm not mad. I have to get to the office for a lunch meeting. We can talk about this next week, okay?"

"Okay," said Chloe, quietly.

After Beca left, Chloe scolded herself. Why had she done that? Sure, she was into Beca, but this was her daughter's music therapist. What was she going to do?

Megan was starting to whine, so Chloe quickly shifted her attention to getting Megan fed and down for a nap before things got ugly.

Chloe thought more about the situation while Megan napped, but she didn't come up with any ideas. She really wanted to keep Beca as Megan's music therapist, but it had become impossible to control herself around Beca. She worried that Beca would drop them as clients, and she didn't want to stop while Megan was doing so well.

* * *

Beca drove to the office in a bit of a state of shock. Chloe had kissed her, but Beca had kissed back. Why had she done that? Why was she always such an idiot around a cute girl? Beca scolded herself for being unprofessional.

She got to the office, and happily greeted Aubrey. They joined Flo and Jessica for lunch. Beca suggested Aubrey listen at the meeting to learn about new clients and encouraged her to offer suggestions when she saw fit. When it came time to discuss Megan, Beca started by talking about her recent breakthroughs.

"She smiled and clapped when I greeted her today, and she colored," said Beca. "And, best of all, she said 'cat' whenever she saw her stuffed cat. It comes out as 'ca' but it's definitely her way of saying it."

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Flo.

"Then why aren't you as excited as we'd expect?" asked Jessica.

"Well, something happened after that," said Beca. The other three women looked at Beca, giving her a minute to get her thoughts together.

"Chloe, Megan's mom, well, she..." Beca trailed off.

"Go on..." said Aubrey.

"She kissed me. And I kissed her back," said Beca, burying her face in her hands. Flo and Jessica squealed, and Aubrey looked really confused.

"Beca's had the hots for Chloe since the first day she saw her," explained Jessica.

"Almost every week we've had to hear about how hot Chloe is, and who's staring at who during these sessions," said Flo. "It's about time."

"But I shouldn't be kissing a client's mom!" exclaimed Beca.

"I offered to take the case several times," said Flo.

"I know, I know," said Beca. "But you have a full caseload already."

"But here we are with a potential new therapist for the business," said Jessica, gesturing toward Aubrey.

"Well, I don't know if I'd consider her potential," said Beca. She handed Aubrey a paper. "I figure it's silly for us to interview the woman who mentored us in grad school. Here's what I can offer you. The job is yours if you want it."

Aubrey reviewed the paper for a few minutes. "I'll take it!" exclaimed Aubrey. She pulled in the other three women for a hug.

"So, Aubrey," said Beca. "I was going to wait until you'd been here for a bit, but in light of what happened with Chloe, I wanted to ask if you want to come with me next week to Megan's session."

"Sure," said Aubrey. "Kids are my favorite to work with."

"Thanks. Let's see how Megan takes to you. Her comfort and success is my first priority, but I also know I can't squash the attraction to her mom."

"You never could handle yourself around a cute girl," said Aubrey.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?!"

"Because it's TRUE!" said the other three women in unison. Beca buried her face in her hands again.

That night, she called Chloe after she got back from the office.

"I'm sorry to bother you in the evening," said Beca.

"It's okay. Megan's in bed."

"That's good. I'm so proud of both of you. It's obvious how hard you work with her."

"Yeah. Thanks. I'm sorry about today."

"Don't be. I'm not mad, really. If anything, I'm sorry. It was really unprofessional of me to kiss back."

"What happens now? I guess I understand if you want to drop us as clients."

"I don't, but I may have another solution. We just hired another therapist. Her name is Aubrey, and she actually mentored the other three of us in grad school. I'd like to bring her next Friday if that's okay. She's great with kids. I ordinarily wouldn't suggest this, but Aubrey is really special. I learned most of what I do with Megan from her."

"I guess we can see how Megan does."

"That's fine. I think Megan will like her. Aubrey really has a gift with kids."

"Okay, I'm willing to let her try."

"Sounds great. I'll see you next week. I think both of you will really like Aubrey."

"I hope so. Bye."

"Bye."


	7. Megan Meets Aubrey

It was time for Megan's next music therapy session. Chloe was nervous. Megan had been up a few times the previous night, and she was a little grumpy. Chloe wasn't sure this was the best day for her to meet someone new, but she'd already agreed. She didn't want to back out.

Beca showed up right on time with a tall, green-eyed blonde with her. "Chloe, this is Aubrey. Aubrey, this is Chloe and her daughter Megan," Beca introduced.

Aubrey shook Chloe's hand. "It's so nice to meet you," she said. She knelt down to Megan's level. "Hello, Megan," said Aubrey. Megan looked right at Aubrey and smiled.

"I guess she likes you," said Chloe. "She's a little tired today, so we'll see how this goes."

Beca played the guitar and sang the hello song as usual, but this time Aubrey sang with her. They also added a "Hello Aubrey" verse. Megan seemed content to have a new person there, but she didn't really look at Aubrey during the hello song.

Beca continued with "Old McDonald" and had Aubrey hold the stuffed cat. Megan said "ca" when Aubrey pointed to the cat. "Good job talking!" Aubrey praised Megan.

Beca and Aubrey grabbed crayons and gave one to Megan. Megan held the crayon instead of turning away from it. She looked at the CD boom box, and Beca cued up the song. Once Big Bird began to sing, Megan tapped the paper with her crayon. "Good coloring!" Aubrey praised Megan.

"Chloe, do you mind if I step out of Megan's sight for a bit to see if she is okay with Aubrey without me?" asked Beca.

"Okay," said Chloe.

Aubrey pulled out the xylophone, knowing it was a favorite of Megan's. Aubrey began to play and sing "Rainbow Connection" on the guitar. Megan smiled and banged along on the red pieces of the xylophone.

Beca stepped back into the room. "Chloe, can we talk privately for a few minutes?" Chloe nodded.

"It looks like Megan likes Aubrey," said Beca.

"I'd say she does," said Chloe. "I'm surprised. She's been grumpy and tired all morning."

"I told you Aubrey has a gift," said Beca.

"I would have to agree with you there," said Chloe.

"So, if you'd like, we can switch Megan to Aubrey's caseload," said Beca. "If it doesn't work out, I'm sure we can switch her back."

"Okay," said Chloe, hesitantly. "I'd be willing to try and see how that goes."

"Great. Then there's one thing left to do," said Beca.

"What?" asked Chloe.

"I'd like to take you out on a date," said Beca.

"Really?" asked Chloe.

"I've been into you for a while. I've been fighting it because of Megan, but it looks like we've solved that problem," said Beca.

"I guess that's why you weren't mad at me for kissing you. I'd like to go on a date, but it's so hard to find someone to watch Megan," said Chloe.

"My stepsister Emily is a great babysitter. She's headed to Barden University in the fall as a special education major. I'm sure she can watch Megan for you," said Beca.

"You've thought of everything, haven't you?" asked Chloe.

"I tried to," said Beca with a bit of a shy smile.

"Okay," said Chloe. "What are you doing Saturday night?"

"Taking a gorgeous redhead out to dinner, or at least I hope to do that," said Beca.

Chloe blushed. "Sounds great."

"Then it's a date. Would it be okay if I give Emily your number? She's in school right now, but I'm sure she can call you when she's home to set up babysitting."

"Sure," said Chloe. She and Beca walked back to the room.

"Aubrey, congratulations. Megan is your first case!" Beca exclaimed.

Chloe looked confused and a little bit worried. "Her first case?" she asked.

"Relax. I mean her first case with us," said Beca.

"I've been a music therapist for years," said Aubrey. "I just moved to the area, and Beca hired me last week."

"Oh," said Chloe. "Okay. Megan seems to really like you."

"Well, I like her too. She's sweet," said Aubrey, smiling at Megan.

"Thanks," said Chloe.

"Is the same time next Friday okay with you?" asked Aubrey.

"Sure," said Chloe. "I'll see you then.

Beca gave Chloe a quick hug before leaving. Chloe had a smile on her face as they left. She finally had a date for the first time since having Megan. Music therapy was going to be a lot easier as long as Megan continued to work well with Aubrey.

* * *

Beca and Aubrey talked on the way back to the office.

"I told you Megan's a special girl," said Beca.

"She is, and I'm glad you and Chloe can finally go on a date," said Aubrey. "It's the first time I've seen you with her, and I swear I could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

"That bad?" asked Beca.

"Yeah," said Aubrey. "I'm surprised one of you didn't slip up before last week."

Beca rolled her eyes. "I'm not that bad."

"Says you."

Beca scoffed.

They met up with Flo and Jessica for the lunch meeting.

"How did it go with Megan?" Flo asked Aubrey.

"Great! She's a doll," said Aubrey. "She was so good for me, and Chloe's agreed to have me as her music therapist."

"Wonderful," said Jessica. She turned to Beca. "So, when's your date?"

"Ummm...tomorrow," said Beca, blushing. "Well, that's assuming Emily can babysit."

"You don't waste time," said Jessica.

"If you saw Chloe, you wouldn't either," said Beca.

"Well, if I were into women, maybe," said Jessica.

"She could turn you," said Beca.

"I don't think it works like that," said Jessica, laughing.

"So, where should I take her?" asked Beca.

"I can get you a table at my family's restaurant," said Flo.

"Thanks! I'd love that!" exclaimed Beca.

"Text me tonight with the time, and I'll get you a reservation," said Flo.

"Will do," said Beca. "Now that we've discussed my love life, let's get to our meeting."

The women discussed their clients. A new client was scheduled for Monday, so they decided Aubrey would take that case. They also decided Aubrey would start doing the weekly sessions at the children's hospital.

Beca texted Emily before her session with Benji that afternoon. Emily was still in school, but she figured Emily would text Chloe as soon as she was home.

That night, she got a call from Chloe.

"Hi, Chloe."

"Hi, Beca. Your stepsister sounds sweet."

"She is."

"She is going to come over a little early to meet Megan, but I should be ready by 6."

"Sounds great. My coworker Flo's family owns a restaurant. She said she could get us a table. I've actually never been there, but it's supposed to be great."

"Awesome. I'm excited to spend an evening with an adult and not have a diaper bag and baby food with me."

"If I see you with either, I'll make you leave them at home," laughed Beca.

"Please do," said Chloe.

"Okay, I'll see you at 6 tomorrow. Flo said the restaurant is business casual," said Beca.

"Okay, see you then," said Chloe.

Beca hung up and then texted Flo asking for a 6:30 reservation. She figured Chloe wouldn't want to be away from Megan too long. Flo texted back that she'd be sure they had a reservation.

Beca smiled to herself before bed. She finally had a date with Chloe Beale. Things were looking up.


	8. The First Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm still blown away by all the positive feedback. I tried to respond to all reviews yesterday. I'm so thankful for all of your support. If I missed you, my apologies.

Emily rang Chloe's doorbell at 5 the next day. Chloe opened the door to see a very tall brunette with a very enthusiastic smile on her face. "You must be Emily," said Chloe.

"That's me," said Emily.

"Come on in," said Chloe. "This is Megan."

Emily immediately sat down on the floor next to Megan. She said, "Hello, Megan." Megan looked at Emily and smiled. Emily started singing a song from Sesame Street, and Megan clapped and giggled.

"I guess Beca has told you how much Megan loves Sesame Street," said Chloe.

"She sure has. I watched it all the time when I was little," said Emily.

"Me too," said Chloe. She picked up Megan and put her on her hip. "Let me show you around."

Chloe walked Emily around the house and showed her where Megan's diapers, clothing, etc. were. She also had typed up a sheet of paper with instructions, doctor's phone number, etc. on it.

"Megan will probably be hungry just after I leave," said Chloe. "I put her dinner and spoons on the counter. Just microwave the meat with the lid off for about 30 seconds. She eats the other foods at room temperature. She hasn't learned how to use a spoon yet, so you'll have to feed her. I have plenty of food in the fridge, so help yourself to anything you want. There are some individual pizzas in the freezer. Beca said you like mushroom pizza, so I made sure I had some. Put Megan down around 8. Her pajamas and overnight diaper are on her changing table. Feel free to call or text me if you have any questions or problems. My parents' phone number is on the paper as well in case you can't get in touch with me. I have Netflix in case you get bored."

"Sounds good. I'm sure we'll be fine," said Emily. She took Megan from Chloe and put her on her hip.

"I'm going to finish getting ready. I'll be out shortly," said Chloe. Emily nodded.

Emily sat and watched Sesame Street with Megan. Chloe was still getting ready when the doorbell rang. "Emily, could you get that?" asked Chloe.

"Sure," said Emily. She opened the door to see a somewhat nervous Beca standing there. She was in a black sleeveless button-down shirt, black skinny jeans, and black ankle boots. "Looking good, big sis. Chloe will be ready in a minute."

Beca stepped inside and waited on the couch.

Chloe walked into the living room in a blue checked dress and low heeled shoes. Her hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders.

"Hot date tonight?" asked Beca, grinning.

"I certainly think so," said Chloe. Beca blushed. "Okay, Megan, I'll be home later. I'll see you in the morning. Be good for Emily!" She gave Megan a kiss on top of the head and then left with Beca.

The two women walked into the restaurant, and Flo's mom greeted them. "Beca! So good to see you! This must be Chloe."

"Hi," said Chloe.

"Let me show you to your table. I'm so glad you could finally come to the restaurant," said Flo's mom.

"Thanks for getting us a table," said Beca.

"Our pleasure," said Flo's mom. "I'll leave you two alone. Your waiter will be out soon."

Beca looked over the menu and noticed Chloe checking her phone and looking a little tense. "Everything okay, Chloe?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little nervous leaving Megan with someone new," said Chloe.

"Why don't you call Emily?" asked Beca.

"It's our date. I'll put my phone away," said Chloe.

"Chloe, just call. If it will put your mind at ease, you should call. I don't mind at all."

"Okay, I'll do that," said Chloe. She called Emily, and she confirmed that Megan was doing just fine. She'd eaten well for her and was watching some more Sesame Street.

"Better?" asked Beca after Chloe hung up.

"Yes, thanks," said Chloe. "I'm sorry I'm a little tense. I actually haven't been on a date since before Megan was born."

"No apology necessary. I know how much you love your daughter, and Megan is important to me too."

"Thanks," said Chloe. "So, how have you been?"

The waiter appeared and took their orders before Beca could answer.

Beca told her about the meeting she had with Flo, Jessica, and Aubrey. She couldn't say anything too specific for privacy reasons, but she told Chloe about how the group shared information and ideas about their clients. She even explained that the idea of using the Big Bird song about the colors to get Megan to use the crayon had been Jessica's.

"That's amazing!" exclaimed Chloe.

"Yeah, I thought so too. I think it's why people seem to like us. We had three of us discussing each client, and now there are four of us," said Beca. "Enough about me. How was your day?"

"Well, it was my day to run errands as usual. I took Megan to the grocery store, and I had a surprisingly great experience."

"Oh?" asked Beca.

"Well, you know Megan won't eat anything other than baby food, right?" Beca nodded. "So, a couple weeks ago, I took her to the store and stocked up on baby food. Some cashier had the nerve to open her mouth and tell me Megan was too old to eat baby food. It's embarrassing enough to have to do this, but the cashier should have minded her own business."

"That's awful. Did you tell the manager?"

"Well, I called after we left. I was really upset and Megan was starting to get cranky. I left a message and they didn't call back."

"Not surprising."

"No, so we went to a different store this week. I had the usual large amount of baby food in the cart, and the cashier was so nice. He smiled at Megan and said hello to her. He saw the baby food and told me it reminded him of the time he used to take care of his grandmother. She couldn't chew food anymore, and it was the only way she'd eat. I think it was his way of saying 'I get it, and you're not alone.'"

"That's so great of him."

"I thanked him profusely," said Chloe. "I'm sorry. All I'm talking about tonight is Megan."

"It's okay," said Beca. "I expect that. I told you that Megan is important to me. I love hearing about her."

"Thanks," said Chloe. "I love being her mom, but I never expected I'd have a child with autism."

"I wouldn't think too many people expect that," said Beca.

"Especially not with girls," said Chloe. "In fact, often in online support groups, I have to correct people when they assume I'm talking about a boy. I've started saying 'my daughter' instead of 'my child.'"

"I guess that makes sense," said Beca. "People shouldn't assume, though."

"No, they shouldn't," said Chloe. "I really am so impressed with how much you've gotten Megan to do. I really hope she progresses as fast with Aubrey."

"I'm sure she will," said Beca.

The two women chatted for a while longer over dinner. Chloe actually managed to talk about something other than Megan. They found out they'd both attended Barden University, but Beca had started the year after Chloe graduated. They'd even had a lot of the same teachers.

After dinner, Beca took Chloe home. As Beca was stepping out of the car, her dad texted her to ask if she wouldn't mind driving Emily home. She replied that she wouldn't mind at all.

The two women walked in the front door to find Emily watching a movie on Netflix and eating a bowl of popcorn. "Hi! How was Megan for you?" asked Chloe.

"Oh, she was fine. She went down for me at 8 with no problem. She's so cute. I'd love to babysit again sometime," replied Emily.

"Great," said Chloe. She paid Emily.

"Hey Em, my dad asked if I could take you home," said Beca. She tossed Emily her car keys. "Wait for me in the car. I'll be out in a couple minutes."

"Okay," said Emily.

"I had a great time, and I'd really like to take you out again," said Beca.

"Me too. I'd love that," said Chloe. She put her arms around Beca's neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Beca happily kissed back. This time the kiss was much deeper. Neither woman had to worry about it being inappropriate and could just enjoy themselves.

"As much as I'd like to continue kissing you, I do have to get Emily home," said Beca. "I'll text you later, okay?"

"Sure. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Beca got into the car to find Emily waiting patiently. "Okay, Beca, how did it go?"

"It was great. I think you're going to be babysitting Megan a lot in the near future."

Emily grinned. "Awesome. So how was the kiss?"

Beca gave an embarrassed smile. "Even better than the last time now that I don't have to worry about it being inappropriate."

"Cool. Thanks for the ride, Beca."

"Anytime."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The story Chloe tells about the grocery store also happened to me. Some people are pretty awesome.


	9. Feeding Evaluation

_Three Months Later_

Beca and Chloe were still dating, and it was going great. They were able to go out almost weekly. They were taking things slowly physically. They both felt a very deep connection, but Chloe was concerned about taking things too far too fast. She needed to ease into things because of Megan.

Megan was doing well. She loved music therapy with Aubrey. She'd added a few new words – apple, banana, Elmo, and Mommy (Chloe's favorite). Chloe arranged for her third birthday party to be thrown at an indoor pool because Megan loved the water. She invited Megan's cousins and several daycare friends. Beca was invited to the party as well.

Megan still wasn't eating well, and the early intervention people recommended Chloe take her daughter to a local children's hospital for an evaluation. The program was doing the best they could, but they didn't have the resources to help Megan. Chloe took Megan for her evaluation, and they recommended an intensive feeding day program. They'd work all day with Megan for eight weeks, five days a week, three meals a day, and they'd work to get her to accept food that she had to chew. The idea was overwhelming for Chloe. How was she going to manage that as a single mother? Taking a leave of absence from work meant she wouldn't be getting paid. She didn't want to leave her patients that long either. Chloe tentatively agreed to enroll Megan in the program and decided that she'd figure it out once the program could take Megan.

Chloe called her mother the day of the evaluation while Megan was napping.

"Hi, Mom. Today was the feeding evaluation."

"How did it go?"

"They think they can help her," said Chloe.

"I sense there's a 'but' coming..."

"But it's an eight-week program. Five days a week, all day long. How am I supposed to manage that? I have to work. Even if they gave me the time off, I doubt they'd pay me."

"Chloe, you have to do this for Megan. We can help you."

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't ask you to support me for two months."

"Why don't you ask the hospital if they have any resources? You can't be the first single parent to have a child in this program."

"I guess that's a thought. I'll call them after we hang up."

"How is everything else going? How's Beca?"

Chloe smiled. Her family loved Beca, and they were so supportive. "She's good. We're taking things slow. Megan still loves her, and she's doing well with Aubrey as her therapist."

"That's good. We really like Beca."

"I'm glad. She's coming to Megan's party on Saturday."

"That's great," said her mom. "Chloe, would you like us to take Megan to our house that night? She can sleep over and you can have some alone time with Beca."

Chloe blushed. "Are you sure? I mean, that's great, but Megan can be difficult."

"She's our granddaughter. We raised four of you. I think we can handle it. Just give us her schedule and her food, and I'm sure we'll all get along just fine. We have the Pack and Play from the other grandchildren in your old bedroom, so she'll have somewhere safe to sleep."

"Okay, Mom. That's great. Thanks."

"You're welcome, honey. Now go call the hospital to see about financial help before that little redhead of yours wakes up from her nap."

"Will do, Mom. Thanks."

Chloe took a minute to think about her mom's offer to keep Megan overnight. This was great! Chloe always kept their dates short because she worried about leaving Megan too long. She never stayed overnight at Beca's for that reason, and she actually hadn't even been to Beca's place. They usually went to dinner or did something else for a short period of time. She never wanted to have Beca stay overnight because it might confuse Megan. Beca had been really understanding, but Chloe was starting to get frustrated. She may be a mom, but she had needs. It had been years since she'd slept with anyone – definitely not since she'd gotten pregnant with Megan. She'd been buying batteries in bulk for a while, and that was only partially due to a large number of toys Megan owned that took batteries.

Chloe shook her head to clear her mind. It was already starting to wander with some really dirty thoughts. This was not a good thing to have floating in her brain when she called a children's hospital. She called the feeding clinic, and they put her in touch with a social worker. The social worker put her in touch with some local organizations that help parents of kids with special needs. Some helped to pay her portion of the bill for the clinic, and some helped pay her expenses while she was out of work. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it could help. She brainstormed a few other ideas of her own, but she wasn't able to think too long before Megan woke up from her nap.

Chloe texted Beca to call her that evening. They usually spoke on the phone in the evenings, but Chloe really wanted to talk to Beca. She wanted to tell her about the feeding evaluation, and she really wanted to schedule a date for after Megan's party.

Chloe got Megan from her room, changed her, and set her up with some toys while Chloe made dinner for herself. She thought about the feeding evaluation as she cooked for herself. "Hopefully I'll be making dinner for my little girl too after the clinic is over," she thought to herself and smiled.

After dinner, she sat with Megan. She had a board book with pictures on it. She wanted to make Megan practice saying the few words she was able to say. She didn't know why Megan had lost her one word not so long ago, but she wanted to do everything she could to have her hold on to the words she had. She sang a song like Aubrey had done in music therapy, and Megan repeated the words she could already say. Chloe gushed praise on her in hopes that Megan would continue to want to talk. Megan clapped and giggled, and Chloe's heart melted. It melted every time her daughter reached the smallest milestone.

Chloe's phone rang, and it was Beca. She answered, and told Beca to wait a few minutes while she set Megan up with Sesame Street.

"Okay, Beca, Megan's occupied. What did parents do before Sesame Street?"

"I have no idea," laughed Beca. "What's up? How was the feeding evaluation?"

"They think they can help Megan. But, it's going to be really intense, and our lives are going to be disrupted for a good eight weeks."

"Wow. You should do it, though."

"I know. The hospital gave me information about some places to help defray the cost, but I'm worried about having almost no income for that long."

"You'll figure it out, and I will help you in any way I can."

"Beca, I can't ask you to do that."

"I'm offering. We can sit down and talk about it sometime soon. Maybe I can shift my schedule to take a day with Megan at the clinic each week so you can work."

"Maybe. Think about it, though. It's going to be you in charge of her once a week."

"I'll think about it. I promise. I won't commit to it unless I'm sure. But I'll tell you I'm pretty sure. Megan is really important to me, and I want to help you both."

"Thanks, Beca," said Chloe. "There is one other thing I wanted to tell you."

"What?"

"My parents offered to take Megan overnight after her birthday party next Saturday."

"That's great! What are you going to do?"

"Well, I was hoping to ask my smokin' hot girlfriend out on a date. Maybe one that lasts more than two hours and ends after midnight?"

"Your girlfriend accepts."

"Awesome."

"Yeah," said Beca. "I have to go, Chloe. Treble is demanding my attention. I think I should probably get him to the dog park."

"Okay, goodbye, Beca. Give Treble a scratch behind the ear for me."

"Will do. Bye, Chloe."

* * *

Beca hung up and smiled to herself. She was going to go on a longer date with Chloe! She respected and understood that Chloe had to think of Megan and that she was reluctant to leave Megan for too long. She cared a lot about Chloe. In fact, she was pretty sure she was falling in love with Chloe. She was dying to take things at least a little further, and she really hoped that Megan's overnight stay with the grandparents would allow this to happen. Okay, she was hoping to finally take Chloe to bed, but she was trying not to get her hopes up too much. Chloe was worth waiting for.

She grabbed Treble's leash. She gave him a scratch behind one of his ears. "That's from Chloe. I hope you get to meet her soon. She's the amazing woman I've been telling you about." Treble happily wagged his tail.

She walked Treble to the dog park. Jessica and Bryan were there with Harmony. Treble immediately pulled Beca in Harmony's direction. "Okay, Treble. Let me take you off of your leash. Go have fun with your friend." All three people laughed. Bryan followed the dogs and tossed a ball with them. "They're quite a pair, aren't they?" said Beca.

"Sure are," said Jessica. "How are things with Chloe?"

"Great," said Beca. "Chloe's mom is taking Megan overnight next Saturday, so we're going to take advantage of it."

"Exactly what do you have planned?"

"Well, we haven't really made any plans, but I was thinking of taking her to the club. Nobody there cares at all when they see two women dancing together."

"Sounds like fun. Are you hoping to get lucky?"

Beca blushed. "Well, that's up to Chloe. We've been taking things slowly."

"But..."

"Yeah, if she wants to."

"I hope for your sake that she does."

Beca just laughed. "Okay, yeah, me too, honestly. So what are you two up to?"

"Nothing special tonight. Bryan has to work all day tomorrow, but we're going out to eat after he gets back from work. Hopefully Treble will wear Harmony out today. She's been whining in the middle of the night again. I have no idea why. I think she's just bored or something."

"Treble does that sometimes. Drives me crazy."

"Yeah."

The dogs played for a while, and they went home with their respective owners when they looked sufficiently tired out.


	10. Megan's Birthday Party and a Longer Date

It was the day of Megan's party. Chloe put her in a cute Elmo bathing suit, and she happily splashed in the pool with her cousins, daycare friends, and her uncles. Chloe's brothers were all like big kids in the pool. They took turns dunking each other. Chloe was only spared because she had a small child in her arms. Beca joined everyone in the pool. Chloe was relieved Beca had chosen a one-piece bathing suit. She didn't think she could handle Beca in a bikini right now. Chloe was in a one-piece herself because Megan had a tendency to grab at her swimsuit, and she definitely didn't want a wardrobe malfunction at the party. Beca played and sang with Megan and her cousins and friends. Chloe's brothers quickly involved Beca in the dunking game. To Chloe's surprise, Beca dunked Chloe's brothers a few times!

"Wow, Beca! Didn't think you'd join in on the dunking!"

"I may not have any brothers, but I used to play in my next door neighbor Jesse's pool all the time. He and I used to dunk each other. Glad to see my old tricks work on your brothers!"

"I'm not sure which of the four of you is the least mature," laughed Chloe. She was really pleased to see Beca getting along with her brothers. Her brothers were the kind of guys who only picked on people they liked. If they were trying to dunk Beca, then they definitely liked her.

Just then, Beca took Megan from Chloe. "Okay, guys, Chloe's fair game now, get her!" Chloe laughed as all three boys launched a full assault, knocking her underwater immediately.

"Okay, it's a tie. All four of you are equally immature," said Chloe in mock offense. "You four messed up my hair!" exclaimed Chloe, laughing.

Beca and Chloe took turns holding Megan while the other one played dunking games with Chloe's brothers. They probably splashed more than the children.

After a while, it was time to get out of the pool and eat and open presents. Chloe's dad got the pizzas while the parents helped the little kids get changed out of swimsuits. All the adults helped pass out pizza and juice. Beca fed Megan her dinner. "Beca, you don't have to do that," said Chloe.

"I want to. Go spend time with your family and the other parents," said Beca.

"Thanks, Becs," said Chloe, kissing her on the cheek.

Beca fed Megan while Chloe mingled. They brought out the cake (with Elmo on it, of course). Megan didn't understand how to blow out candles, but her cousins were happy to help. Beca passed out cake slices to the kids and adults. Megan wasn't interested in eating cake, so Chloe took the opportunity to have Megan open presents while everyone ate.

After cake and presents, it was time to go. Beca helped Chloe load presents in the back of her car, and then Chloe's parents took Megan and her overnight bag in their car. They had a car seat in the car because they frequently drove grandchildren around. Chloe was a little teary saying goodbye to Megan. Beca squeezed her hand and reminded her that Megan would be just fine.

Beca and Chloe went back to their respective homes briefly. Both of the women wanted to change clothes, and Chloe wanted to unload the presents from her car.

* * *

After an hour, Beca came back to pick Chloe up. Beca was wearing black skinny jeans and black high heeled boots with a gray tank top and a black leather jacket. Chloe wore a black blouse, silver skirt, and black pumps.

"Lookin' good, Babe," said Beca.

"You too," said Chloe. She put her arms around Beca's neck and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

"Let's go," said Beca. "You'll love the club. A lot of people like us are there, so nobody gets weird about two women dancing."

"Great. I haven't been to a club in forever," said Chloe.

The two women entered the club when it was just getting busy. They headed to the bar first to get some drinks. Chloe noticed a blonde woman eyeing her and Beca.

"Hey, Beca," she whispered. "Who's that?"

Beca glanced over. It was the blonde from the last time she was here. "I don't know her name, but I've danced with her before." She hoped that would be all Chloe would ask. Beca had only had a few one-night stands, and she didn't want Chloe to get the wrong idea.

"Then why is she glaring at you?"

"Ummm..."

Chloe raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, promise you won't get mad."

"Well, I'll try to keep an open mind."

"Fair enough," said Beca. "So, the last time I was here, and this was before you and I were dating, she and I left the club together."

"And..."

"And we ended up having a one-night stand," said Beca, embarrassed. "I swear I have only done that a few times in my life. It's really not my thing."

Chloe didn't say anything. She just thought and sipped her drink.

"Chloe, it didn't mean anything. I was frustrated, and I guess I'll admit I was hoping she'd take my mind off of you."

"What?"

"I'll admit it wasn't my greatest idea. I really only hit the club to dance, but one thing led to another, and she ended up back at my place."

"Did it get your mind off of me?"

"Not at all. In fact, you were the first person I thought about when it was over."

"And this was before we were dating?"

"Yes, I promise it was."

Chloe paused for another minute or two.

"Okay," said Chloe.

"Okay?" asked Beca.

"Okay," Chloe repeated. "I trust you. I can't exactly get mad about something you did with someone before we were dating. If you say one-night stands aren't your thing, then I believe you."

"I swear they're not," said Beca.

"Okay," said Chloe. "Let's dance."

Chloe took Beca's hand and headed to the middle of the dance floor. The two women had a lot of fun dancing together. Chloe was an amazing dancer. She was very sexy and Beca was practically drooling. Chloe noticed her girlfriend staring, and gave her a little smirk. She started grinding a bit against Beca. She glanced over and noticed the nameless blonde glaring at her now instead of Beca. She winked at her and continued to dance with Beca.

The DJ played a slow song and the two women danced very closely together. Chloe finally worked up the nerve to tell Beca what she'd been feeling for a while. "I love you," she said to Beca. "I've been wanting to tell you for a while, but the time never felt right."

Beca smiled and said, "I love you too, Chloe. So, so much." The two women stopped dancing and shared a deep kiss. Their hands started wandering, and Beca whispered, "Want to head back to my place?"

Chloe nodded. She loved Beca and she wanted to finally make love to her.

Beca paid the bar tab and took Chloe to her place in her car. The two women walked into Beca's house, and Chloe pulled Beca in for a kiss. "Would you like the grand tour?" asked Beca, breaking the kiss.

Chloe said, "I think I really just want to see the bedroom."

Beca smirked. "Really? Impatient, are we?"

"Beca, I haven't been on a date since before Megan. I haven't been with anyone since before I got pregnant with her. You've been so patient with me, but I don't want to wait anymore. I meant it when I said I love you, and I really want to show you."

"I love you too, Chloe," said Beca. "Okay, the bedroom it is."

The two women headed straight to the bedroom. Clothing was removed quickly, and the two ended up making love. They cuddled up afterward.

"Wow, Beca, that was amazing."

"Yeah, I think so too." Beca held Chloe a little tighter. "Want to stay the night?"

"I do, but..." said Chloe. "I don't have anything to wear tomorrow."

"You can borrow something from me. I know you're taller, but not by that much."

"Okay, let's get some sleep." The two women were starting to drift off when Treble began whining in his crate.

"I'll be right back, Chloe. I forgot to let Treble out." She pressed a kiss to Chloe's lips and pulled on a tank top and pajama shorts.

"Okay, I'll be here."

Beca let Treble out and put him back in his crate. He began to whine. Beca went back into her bedroom.

"Is Treble okay?" asked Chloe.

"Well, he's a little upset about being in the crate. Usually, he sleeps in bed with me."

"I don't mind if he sleeps with us. I love dogs."

"Are you sure?"

"Totes," said Chloe.

"Okay." Beca let Treble out of his crate. He hopped up on the bed, sniffed Chloe, licked her hand, and then covered Chloe's face in doggie kisses. "I guess he likes you." Chloe laughed as the doggie kisses tickled her face.

"Treble, go lay down," said Beca. Treble obediently walked to the foot of the bed on Beca's side and curled up into a ball.

"I like him too. He's so cute. The pictures don't do him justice."

"You really don't mind him sleeping here?"

"No, but I draw the line at him being in the bed when we have sex. That's just too weird."

"I don't want him in here for that either," laughed Beca. She stripped her pajamas off, wanting to be closer to Chloe and climbed back into bed.

Chloe cuddled up behind Beca as the "big spoon." She said,"Good night, Beca."

"Night, Chloe."

* * *

The next morning, Beca woke up and smiled as she looked at the beautiful head of red hair laying on her chest and the hand splayed across her stomach. "I could get used to waking up with her," she thought and sighed happily. She pressed a kiss to the top of Chloe's head and felt Chloe hug her tightly before settling back down.

"Morning, Chloe," Beca said quietly.

"Morning, Beca," said Chloe sleepily.

"Do you want some breakfast?" asked Beca. "I can make eggs or pancakes, or we can go out."

"Pancakes sound good," said Chloe.

"Okay, I'll make pancakes," said Beca. She pressed another kiss to the top of Chloe's head. Chloe picked up her head and pressed a kiss to Beca's lips. "As great as it is cuddling with you, I need to get up and take care of Treble and then make breakfast."

"Okay," said Chloe as she rolled off of Beca.

"Feel free to grab something to wear out of my closet or dresser. Pajamas are in the top drawer," said Beca.

Beca pulled on her tank top and pajama shorts, let Treble outside and then fed him, started a pot of coffee, and began to mix pancake batter. She was just putting pancakes on the griddle when Chloe padded into the kitchen. She was wearing one of Beca's old Barden University tees and a pair of sleep shorts. Beca smiled at how adorable her girlfriend was.

"Those smell good," said Chloe.

"Thanks," said Beca. She poured each of them a cup of coffee. "How do you like your coffee?"

"Do you have creamer?" asked Chloe. Beca opened up the refrigerator and took out two flavors of creamer - french vanilla and hazelnut. Chloe poured the hazelnut creamer, added a little sugar, and took a sip. "This hits the spot," she said.

Beca planted a kiss on Chloe's lips. Chloe was the cutest in the morning, and Beca couldn't help but smile at her.

"Hey, Beca?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if I call my parents and check on Megan? I've never left her overnight before."

"Go ahead. You know you never have to ask about checking on Megan. The pancakes are going to be a few more minutes anyway."

"Thanks, babe. I won't be long."

Chloe called and was pleased to hear Megan had done great for her parents. Her parents asked if she and Beca would like to meet them at church. They were going anyway, and it would be easier for Chloe to pick her up there. Chloe replied that she'd check with Beca and call them back shortly.

"How's Megan?" asked Beca after Chloe hung up.

"Fine," said Chloe. "I can't help but worry about her. It's a Mom thing I guess."

Beca nodded. "I get it." The pancakes were done, so she made both of them a plate. She set them on the table with some butter and syrup.

"Yeah. My parents wanted to know if we wanted to meet them at church."

"Well, I haven't been to church in years. The one I attended growing up was really anti-gay, so I stopped going."

"This one's really accepting. Our pastor is a lesbian, so she's definitely not going to have a problem with our relationship."

"Okay," said Beca. "Should we stop at your place first? I don't have a car seat for Megan."

"That's probably a good idea," said Chloe. She called her parents to let them know they'd meet them at church.

"So, the service doesn't start for a few hours. What do you want to do in the meantime?" asked Chloe with a sly smile on her face.

"I might have a few ideas," said Beca. She got up from the table, put her arms around Chloe, and she gave her a deep kiss.

"I think I might have the same ideas," said Chloe, grinning. The two women headed to the bedroom.

After a few rounds in the bedroom and a couple more in the shower, Beca got dressed for church. Chloe put the pajamas back on that she'd borrowed from Beca. She had to head to her place anyway, so she figured she'd just change there. Chloe had assured Beca the church was pretty casual, so Beca put on a nice pair of jeans, a white blouse, and a pair of ballet flats.

Chloe gathered her clothes off of Beca's bedroom floor and the two women headed back to Chloe's house. Chloe changed quickly into a pair of black dress pants, a blue blouse, and a pair of black low-heeled ankle boots, and the two women headed to church in Chloe's car.

The two women greeted Chloe's parents and Megan. Megan gave both women a big smile, and Chloe took Megan to the church nursery. They sat with Chloe's parents, brothers, sisters-in-law, and the nieces and nephews that were too old for the church nursery. Beca and Chloe held hands throughout most of the service, and Beca found she enjoyed the service a lot. Chloe's nieces and nephews that were singing in the choir were too cute for words. The pastor knew what she was talking about, and there weren't any of the homophobic rants she'd endured at church while growing up.

They had lunch at the church after the service, and Chloe was very excited to introduce her girlfriend to her church family. Beca took care of feeding Megan, insisting that Chloe talk to her church friends. Megan started yawning just as Beca fed her the last of her lunch, so the two women left with Megan shortly afterward.

Chloe asked Beca to stay while Megan napped. She was enjoying her time with Beca so much, and she didn't want it to end. Beca agreed, and the two women found themselves cuddled on the couch while Megan slept.

"I loved waking up with you this morning," said Beca.

"Yeah, me too," said Chloe. "I really hope my parents take Megan overnight again soon." Chloe saw Beca's face fall. "What?"

"Well, I was hoping we wouldn't have to wait that long. I know you're worried about Megan, but I was hoping we could see if she can handle us spending a night together. Either at your place, or we can try letting her sleep at mine. I can set up a pack and play or toddler bed in my spare room."

"Ummm...I don't know. She has her routines and all."

"I know she does. Besides, if I end up taking her one day a week at the feeding clinic, I have to make sure she is used to spending a lot of time with me."

"You have a point there. I guess we can try. Maybe at yours?"

"Okay. This week, let's go shopping and you can pick what I buy to keep at mine for her."

"Sounds good. Monday evening okay?"

"It's a date."

"Awesome." Chloe turned toward Beca and gave her a deep kiss. "You know, Megan probably won't be up for another hour, so..."

"Again?" asked Beca.

Chloe blushed. "Sorry. It's been nearly four years since I was in a relationship. It's okay if you don't want to."

"Oh, that's not it. I just had no idea my girlfriend was insatiable," said Beca with a smirk.

The two women headed to Chloe's bedroom. They were just getting dressed when they heard Megan.

"Hey, Chloe, why don't I get her? Let's see if she'll let me get her from her nap. You're here in case she gets upset," said Beca. Chloe nodded.

Beca walked into Megan's room. "Hi, sweetheart!" Megan looked up at her for a minute, but she got out of her toddler bed and walked over to Beca, lifting her arms to request that Beca pick her up. Beca changed Megan's diaper and brought her out to Chloe.

"I didn't hear any crying," said Chloe.

"No, she did just fine. I changed her, so she's ready to play."

"You didn't have to do that," said Chloe.

"Chloe, I'm in this for the long haul. I know that if you're going to be part of my life, that absolutely includes Megan. Besides, I'm going to have to get used to changing her if I have one day per week with her at the feeding clinic."

Chloe teared up at Beca's words. She'd always been worried after Megan was diagnosed that nobody would be willing to take on a single woman with a child on the autism spectrum. She loved Megan with all her heart, but Megan was so much work compared to her cousins.

Beca pulled Chloe in for a hug and began to wipe Chloe's tears with the pads of her thumbs. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry."

Chloe sniffled. "Sorry, you just have me so emotional. I really thought I'd never find anyone, especially after Megan was diagnosed. I'm just so lucky."

Beca planted a chaste kiss on Chloe's lips. "I think I'm the lucky one to have both of you."

Chloe looked down and she saw Megan had begun banging an Elmo doll at her legs. She picked up Megan. "What do you want, honey?"

"Apple," said Megan.

"I guess she's hungry," said Chloe. She sat Megan in her chair and began to feed her applesauce.

Beca gave Chloe a kiss on the cheek. "As adorable as this is, I have to get home. Treble needs some exercise, and I need to get ready for the work week. Call me after Megan's in bed if you want to talk more," said Beca.

"Will do. Love you!"

"Love you too!"

Beca kissed both Chloe and Megan on top of their heads before leaving.


	11. Moving Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thank you for all of the positive feedback!

Beca met Chloe and Megan at a kids' consignment shop to buy some stuff to keep at her place. They got a toddler bed, a baby monitor, some spare clothing, a few Sesame Street DVDs, a car seat for Beca's car, and a booster seat that strapped to a regular chair so Megan could eat at Beca's. They also let Megan choose a few toys to keep at Beca's house. Chloe worried that Beca was spending too much money on Megan, but Beca wouldn't hear of it. All the clothing and equipment was used, and Beca really wanted to make this work.

They brought Megan with them to Beca's to set up her things. They also wanted to make sure Treble was okay. He wasn't used to children that small as they were almost never at the dog park. Beca grabbed some treats and cautiously let Treble out of his crate. He didn't bark at Megan or Chloe, but he seemed nervous. Beca praised him for being good and gave him a treat. He sniffed Megan and began to wag his tail. Beca praised him and gave him another treat. He walked away from Megan and went off to the corner to chew his favorite bone.

"Gog," said Megan.

"That's right, Megan," said Chloe. "Good talking!"

"I guess Treble likes Megan," said Beca.

"I'm sure the treats helped," said Chloe.

"It's advice I got when I trained him. He's begun to associate treats with new people, so he's not as nervous as he used to be."

"That's great," said Chloe. She helped Beca set up Megan's things in her spare room. Megan followed closely, not sure what to think of being at Beca's house.

Beca and Chloe set Megan down in front of the TV to watch one of the DVDs Beca bought her. It kept her occupied while they went over some other things Beca would need if Megan would be spending more time there. Chloe told Beca which ones were Megan's favorite baby foods, made sure Beca knew which diapers and wipes to buy, and they also went over some routines. Beca had promised Chloe she'd adjust her caseload so she could take Megan one day per week to the feeding clinic. That way Chloe wouldn't have to take an entire eight weeks off of work. Chloe's mom had already promised she'd take a day, and her sister-in-law offered to take a day as well. If Beca was going to take Megan one day per week, it made more sense to let Megan sleep over the night before. The plan was that usually, Chloe would join her, but Beca wanted to be prepared in case Chloe wasn't there.

Chloe took Megan home shortly afterward because it was getting late. The two women made a plan to spend Friday night at Beca's. Beca said she'd cook for herself and Chloe, and they could just do something low-key at her place for the evening. Beca didn't really like watching movies, but she said she wouldn't mind watching one with Chloe. Chloe promised she'd try to pick something she thought Beca might like anyway.

* * *

Friday, Beca texted Chloe as soon as she'd come home from work. Chloe headed over with Megan shortly afterward. Beca greeted Chloe with a kiss on the lips and Megan with a kiss to the top of her head. Chloe was happy to see that Beca had already set up Megan's booster seat and had a few jars of baby food and a small spoon laid out on the counter. Chloe heated Megan's food while Beca finished cooking dinner.

The two women took turns feeding Megan while they ate dinner. Beca was a good cook, but she'd chosen to make a simple meal. She made grilled chicken breast, green beans, and mashed potatoes. She thought about offering wine but decided against it. She wasn't sure how Chloe would feel about them drinking while Megan was sleeping over.

After dinner, Chloe offered to help clean up, but Beca refused to let her. Instead, Chloe occupied Megan for a bit until Beca joined them in the living room. Treble happily laid on the floor of the living room and watched them. Beca came in and joined everyone. She played some Sesame Street music and all three of them had a Sesame Street dance party. Beca smiled to herself, thinking she would never have envisioned having a Sesame Street dance party on a date, and that she loved Chloe and Megan so much that she wouldn't have it any other way.

Megan was tired out after that, so the two women gave her a bath and put her to bed. Chloe was pleased to see that Beca had bought regular and overnight diapers as well as the baby wash she normally used. She was cautiously optimistic that Megan would do well.

They set up the baby monitor in the living room and sat down in front of Netflix. The two women finally agreed on Rent. They commented on how relieved they were that it was much easier now to be open about being in a same-sex relationship than it was when the movie was set. They spent most of the movie singing along (quietly, so they wouldn't wake Megan), cuddling and occasionally kissing.

Once the movie was over, Beca let Treble out, put him in his crate, and they headed to bed. It wasn't late, but Megan was usually up early every morning. It was great during the week when Chloe had to work, but it was really annoying when she didn't. The two women snuggled together and eventually snuggling lead to more lovemaking. Chloe was amazed at how wonderful it was with Beca. She'd slept with men and women before, but nobody had ever made her feel like Beca did. The two women fell asleep in each other's arms soon after. Beca had meant to let Treble out of his crate after they were done, but she couldn't bring herself to let go of Chloe. She figured one night in the crate wouldn't hurt Treble.

* * *

Saturday morning, the two women awoke to the sound of Megan babbling through the baby monitor. "Hey, Chloe, I'll get her," said Beca.

"Okay, I'll get Treble." Chloe let Treble out of his crate and he wagged his tail happily. She fed him and let him outside to do his business.

"Good morning, Megan," said Beca. Megan smiled at Beca. Beca changed Megan's diaper and dressed her for the day. She even got Megan to sit still long enough to put her hair in pigtails by singing to her. She walked Megan out to the kitchen to find Chloe had started the coffeemaker and was scrambling eggs. Treble was laying under the kitchen table. "Good morning, sweet girl!" said Chloe to Megan.

"Mommy," said Megan. She smiled and clapped at the sight of her mom.

"Hey, Beca, do you want to take over so I can feed Megan?"

"It's up to you. I can feed her if you want while you make eggs," said Beca.

"You already got her dressed. I'll get her breakfast ready," said Chloe, planting a kiss on Beca's lips.

"Okay," said Beca. She finished cooking breakfast while Chloe fed Megan. Both women were surprised at how easily Megan adapted to sleeping at Beca's house.

The women sat Megan in front of another Sesame Street DVD while they ate breakfast.

"I'm pleasantly surprised to say last night was a success," said Chloe. "I really didn't think Megan would do as well here."

"Well, she does see me all the time."

"I suppose that helps."

"So, do we want to make this a regular arrangement? We could take turns spending Friday nights at each other's places. I do have to make sure Treble is taken care of, though."

"Well, maybe you could bring him to my place. I can get a crate for him. I don't have a fence, but I could put a tether in the backyard."

"You'd do that?"

"You just bought a ton of equipment for Megan to sleep over. It's the least I can do."

"Okay, we'll try."


	12. Beca's First Night at Chloe's

It was Friday, which meant Beca had her afternoon meeting with Flo, Jessica, and Aubrey. With the fourth music therapist added, they were able to do afternoon meetings again on Friday instead of having to squeeze the meeting in during lunch.

Aubrey went first. "So, I saw Megan today, and she's doing well. I got her to make a few lines with the crayon. I sang the song instead of playing the CD, and I added a verse about making lines. I had to do some hand over hand the first time I sang the verse, but she did it by herself when I sang the verse again." Beca smiled. She was so glad Megan had taken so well to Aubrey.

"Did Chloe tell you she says 'dog' now?" asked Beca.

"Yeah. I guess she met Treble," said Aubrey. Beca nodded.

Beca went next. "Benji has the coin values down now. I think I need to write a new song to help him combine the coin values. Should I stick with Pokemon, or do you think we should ask his mom for some other ideas?"

"If Pokemon worked the first time, you should probably stick with that," said Jessica. Flo and Aubrey nodded in agreement.

"Oh, boy. I guess instead of 'Pikachu and a dime' it will be 'Jigglypuff and two quarters,'" said Beca, laughing. She was tired of singing about Pokemon, but she'd get over it to help Benji.

Beca and Aubrey discussed adjusting Beca's caseload in the near future so she could help Megan. They tentatively chose which clients they would move to Aubrey, at least temporarily. They wouldn't move anyone without checking with the families first, but they chose clients that would likely be fine with the change. They made a plan to discuss things at the following week's meeting.

"Should we meet you at the dog park?" Jessica asked Beca as both women prepared to leave for the day.

"Yeah, but it's going to have to be early. I have plans with Chloe tonight."

"Oh?"

"Ummm...yeah. I'm sleeping over, provided Treble can behave at her place."

"Wow, this is serious business, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I love her. And I love Megan too. That's why I'm going to try to be able to spend a day every week with her at the feeding clinic. Did I tell you Megan has a room at my place now?"

"Beca, you're such a softie."

"I am not. I'm badass."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"I  _am_  badass! Text me when you're ready to meet at the dog park. Maybe Harmony can tire Treble out a little so he's good at Chloe's place."

"Will do. See you soon."

Beca headed home and packed an overnight bag and some dog food and treats while she waited for Jessica. Once she heard from Jessica, she took Treble straight to the dog park. The two dogs played together really well while Beca chatted with Jessica and Bryan. The dogs looked a little worn out, so Beca said goodbye to Jessica and Bryan and headed home. She texted Chloe that she was on her way and headed straight to her place.

Chloe had just gotten Megan up from her nap when Beca texted her that she and Treble were on their way. She double checked that she'd gotten the crate assembled correctly and waited for Beca and Treble to arrive. She had a few treats in her pocket in hopes of keeping Treble happy.

Beca and Treble arrived, and Treble stuck close to Beca, sniffing everything he could. Chloe gave him a treat, and he happily wagged his tail. He licked Megan's face, making her giggle, and continued to sniff around Chloe's house. Beca set down her and Treble's things and pulled Chloe in for a kiss. "Hey, baby, how was your day?"

"Great. I guess Aubrey told you she got Megan to make lines with a crayon, right?" Beca nodded. "She's doing so well with her."

"I'm so glad, and not just because it means we can be together," said Beca, giving her girlfriend another kiss.

"Me too," said Chloe, smiling into the kiss.

"So, what's the plan for dinner?" asked Beca.

"I was planning on making tacos," said Chloe.

"Yum!"

"Why don't you go play with Megan while I cook? She sees me all the time, so she'll probably be more entertained by you."

Beca headed into the living room to play with Megan. Beca was having Megan's stuffed dolls "talk" to each other and to Megan, and Megan laughed really hard. Megan's laugh was one of the cutest things Beca had ever seen.

Once dinner was ready, Beca brought Megan into the kitchen. The women took turns feeding Megan while they ate and talked. Chloe thought to herself about how easy and natural it felt to sit down at her dinner table with Beca and Megan. Megan had adjusted surprisingly well to having Beca visit and care for her. It felt a lot like they were a real family.

After they cleaned up dinner, the three of them had another Sesame Street dance party. Even Treble seemed to want to join in. He was running around them in circles wagging his tail and occasionally licking either Beca, Chloe, or Megan.

Beca took Treble out to do his business while Chloe bathed Megan. They put her to bed together and then snuggled together on the couch watching bad TV. They soon headed to the bedroom, leading to more lovemaking and cuddling. This time Beca remembered to let Treble into the bedroom after Chloe promised her she was fine with Treble sleeping on the bed with them.

* * *

Megan woke up early as always. Beca offered to get her again, and Chloe agreed. This time, Megan looked right at Beca and smiled. Beca changed Megan's diaper, dressed her, and put her hair in pigtails. She let Treble out and poured him a bowl of food.

Beca and Megan walked into the kitchen, and Chloe was making omelets. Beca heated Megan's breakfast and fed her. The two women sat down and ate while taking turns feeding Megan.

"So, I think I have things worked out so I can spend one day per week once Megan starts the clinic. We have to check with a few clients, but we are switching a few people to Aubrey's caseload so I can take Megan on Tuesdays."

"Beca, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Chloe, I told you I'm in this for the long haul, and I meant what I said. I know Megan isn't mine, but I can tell you that I love her like she is. I love you and I want to do this for both of you. I can handle things at my job. Please let me help you so you can keep your job and your patients."

Chloe burst into happy tears. "I don't deserve you," said Chloe.

"You are one of the kindest people I know with such a big heart. I don't know why you don't think you deserve the world."

Chloe pulled Beca in for a deep kiss. The two women stopped when they heard Megan giggling.

"What's so funny, little one?" asked Chloe, smiling at her daughter.

"Beh," said Megan, pointing at Beca. Megan had never tried to say Beca's name before.

Chloe looked at her daughter in confusion. She pointed at Beca and said "Beca?"

Megan pointed to Beca again and said "Beh."

It was Beca's turn to cry. She picked Megan up and put her on her hip. "Hi, sweetheart."

"Beh," said Megan.

"I guess I'm Beh," said Beca, smiling at Megan.


	13. Feeding Clinic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Megan's experience at the feeding clinic is a brief description of the feeding program that helped my daughter. It was one of the most difficult things I've had to go through to help my daughter, but it was a life-changing experience for our family.

_Two Weeks Later_

It was Megan's first day at the feeding clinic. The day was largely spent in one meeting after another with the staff members who would be working with Megan. The children's hospital was pretty elaborate, and Chloe was convinced she'd never find her way around the place. Beca was scheduled to start bringing Megan the next day, but she decided she'd accompany Chloe the first day for moral support. Chloe had to sign quite a few papers giving Beca, her mother, and her sister-in-law permission to bring Megan and discuss Megan's case with the staff. They went over Megan's routines, showed some of her normal feedings, and went over the treatment plan. It was a really long day, and poor Chloe had a splitting headache by the time it was over. Beca drove the three of them to her place after they were done for the day. Neither she nor Chloe felt like cooking, so they ordered takeout. She gave Chloe some aspirin and told her to relax on the couch. She'd take care of Megan for a while. Beca gave Megan a snack since her dinner at the clinic had been earlier than usual and gave her a bath. She brought her to Chloe for a good night kiss and then put her to bed. Megan had gotten used to sleeping at Beca's a bit by now, so there was no problem.

Beca drew Chloe a bubble bath and poured her a glass of wine. Her tub wasn't big enough for the two of them to share, so she sat in the bathroom and talked to Chloe while she bathed.

"This is nice," said Chloe as she relaxed in the bubbles and took a sip of wine.

"It's been a long day," said Beca.

"I really hope not all days are this exhausting," said Chloe.

"I'm sure once we get used to it and treatment gets underway, we'll all do just fine."

"I hope so," said Chloe.

Chloe relaxed for a while, chatting with Beca. When Chloe got out of the bath, Beca couldn't resist staring at her beautiful girlfriend.

"Hey, Beca, my eyes are up here!" said Chloe.

Beca blushed. "I can't help it. You're gorgeous." She put her arms around Chloe's neck and kissed her deeply.

The two women headed to Beca's bedroom and Beca gave Chloe a back rub. Chloe was still a little tense, so she appreciated this so much.

"What would I do without you?" asked Chloe.

"I don't even want to think about that," said Beca. She planted a chaste kiss on Chloe's lips. "We need to get some sleep."

Chloe smiled and pulled Beca close to her. "Good night, Beca. I love you."

"I love you too, Chloe."

The two women fell asleep intertwined.

* * *

The rest of the week was a bit of a blur. The clinic staff had spent a lot of that time building rapport with Megan. They wanted to see what sort of positive reinforcement worked well for her, and it wasn't until the third day that they'd made any meal the least bit challenging. As predicted, Megan screamed throughout the meal. Chloe's mom was there that day and said she had to leave the observation room because it was hard to see Megan so upset. She went back in to watch when the screaming stopped. There was food on the wall and in Megan's hair and a few spoons on the floor, but she appeared to have eaten most of what they'd given her.

Chloe's sister-in-law Marie brought Megan on the fourth day. Megan did well with the change and had reportedly thrown a bit less of a fit during her meals. She'd had a minor vomiting incident during speech therapy, but nothing serious. Thankfully, Chloe had packed a few spare outfits to keep in their locker at the clinic, so Megan came home relatively clean.

Friday was one of Chloe's days to bring Megan to the clinic, and it was also a day the clinic had scheduled her to see a social worker. The clinic had wanted to make sure the parents had the right support in place. The social worker felt like Chloe had a lot of the right support in place and just reminded Chloe that she was available if she needed more help. Megan began occupational therapy at the clinic that day as well, and the OT was impressed that music therapy had gotten Megan to mark paper with crayons. Chloe suggested the OT talk to Beca when it was her day to bring Megan as Beca had been Megan's music therapist at one point.

The second week was a bit more intensive than the first with therapy. By the end of that week, Megan and the adults bringing her had settled into a routine. Megan still fought sometimes during meals, but she seemed to pick up very quickly that the clinic staff wasn't going to give in if she had a fit. She responded well to her reinforcement, and that motivated her to try a little harder.

On Beca's day to take Megan to the clinic that week, one of the staff members asked Beca if she would mind playing music for the patients in the clinic. Most of the patients were at meals or other therapy when Aubrey came in, and this would give the kids an opportunity to enjoy some music. Beca readily agreed and was glad she'd decided to bring her guitar with her that day. Tuesdays quickly became everyone's favorite day at the clinic. The kids just loved Beca's music, and one of the older children told Megan she was "so lucky" to have Beca around so much.

In the middle of the third week, the staff began training the adults who worked with Megan on protocols to feed her. They went over which behaviors to ignore, when and how to give positive reinforcement, and what kinds of things to say to her while feeding her. It was a little overwhelming, but everyone knew the clinic wouldn't help Megan in the long run if they didn't implement these protocols at home when they were done. She couldn't stay at the clinic forever

At the end of the third week, Chloe and Megan were sent home with a "weekend kit" of food for her. The clinic wanted Chloe to start implementing the feeding protocols at home. This was a weekend they'd be spending at Beca's. Chloe assured the clinic staff that Megan frequently spent weekends with her at Beca's and that it was probably a good idea to get her used to eating like this at Beca's place as well.

Megan looked utterly confused when Chloe took out the food and reinforcement from the clinic, but she quickly adapted. She was hungry, obviously, and only tested Chloe a little.

By the end of the fourth week, Megan had begun chewing soft foods. It was tough, and she tired quickly, but Chloe was elated. She thought she'd never see her daughter chew anything.

In her fifth week, Megan had begun trying to chew more difficult foods. She picked up some Cheerios and ate them of her own accord during a speech session. Chloe was thrilled that she had been the adult taking Megan that day. She never knew she'd be so excited to see her daughter eat a Cheerio, but it had seemed like a lofty goal not too long ago.

Weeks six and seven saw a continued gradual increase in the difficulty of the textures of foods the clinic tried to get Megan to eat.

After the eighth week of intense feeding therapy, the clinic was over, and the staff told her Megan had exceeded their expectations. Chloe was so proud of her daughter!

By the of the eight weeks, there were quite a few foods that she would accept. It was almost all food that had to be cut very small or mashed with a fork, but Chloe no longer felt like the sole supporter of the Gerber and Beech-Nut baby food companies. In fact, she'd gone so far as to donate the remainder of the baby food to the church's food pantry. The staff at the clinic had advised Chloe and Beca to remove all baby food from their homes as seeing it may make Megan regress.

* * *

Beca and Chloe were doing great. The stress of the feeding clinic hadn't put much of a strain on their relationship. The two had gotten into routines with her. Since both women were spending time with Megan at the clinic, they could both appreciate how the other was feeling if it had been a particularly difficult day.

Megan was progressing in other areas besides feeding. The speech pathologist and occupational therapist working with her had worked on a variety of goals. The speech pathologist had her saying a few more words (including a much clearer version of "Beca"), and the occupational therapist had Megan marking lines more with a crayon and stacking blocks.

Finishing the clinic had been bittersweet. They were glad to be done and no longer visiting a children's hospital five days a week, but they had bonded with many of the other parents. A few parents didn't speak to either woman because they disapproved of their relationship, but most parents were great. All the kids had different feeding problems, but a lot of the parents had experienced similar judgment from the public about their child's eating habits.

The experience at the feeding clinic had also given Chloe some perspective. She was used to being the only one with a special needs child. At the clinic, many children had more severe difficulties than Megan. Quite a few parents were there with children who were exclusively tube fed and were learning to accept food by mouth. A lot of children were non-verbal and/or wheelchair bound. Life with Megan was challenging to say the least, but these parents had things much more difficult in Chloe's opinion.

Once the feeding clinic was over, Chloe made the decision to enroll Megan in a preschool program in the public school system that was designed for autistic children. Megan had done well being around a lot of other kids at the clinic, and she had enjoyed the preschool-like environment in the playroom.

Megan started preschool two weeks after completing the feeding program. The school had been very receptive to following the feeding instructions given to them by the clinic. Megan would only be eating a snack at school as the program was a half day, so it wasn't much trouble anyway. Megan would ride the bus to school in the morning from Chloe's house, and then a bus would take her to daycare in the afternoon.

Beca was such a hit at the feeding clinic with her music, they asked her to continue to come in on Tuesday afternoons to play for the kids. Beca readily agreed. She went back to her usual work schedule otherwise, thankful that there hadn't been any problem switching some clients around. She missed having one-on-one time with Megan, but she was glad to see the clients she'd temporarily given to Aubrey.

Chloe was back to her four days per week work schedule. She had to pick Megan up from school on Fridays because of bus arrangements, but it gave her a chance to check on her progress weekly from the teacher.

Over the next few months, Megan continued to do well at school. Chloe had dropped private therapy except for music therapy because she didn't have time with Megan in school. Megan was getting a lot of therapy at school, so she didn't lose any progress anyway.

Megan was eating almost like a typical child her age at this point. Chloe still had to be very careful and make sure her food was in small pieces, but she could finally feed Megan what she was eating for dinner at least five nights per week. It still felt like a dream to Chloe. Before the feeding clinic, Chloe feared Megan would forever be on a diet of pureed food, and she may have even needed a feeding tube at some point. Chloe was forever grateful that she'd been able to take her daughter to such an amazing program. She knew she was fortunate that she had a wonderful girlfriend and great family members who made it possible for her to help her daughter while keeping her job.


	14. Big Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks again for all the positive feedback!

_Three Months Later_

Beca nervously knocked on the door to Chloe's parents' house. She'd been there plenty of times, but this was a big deal. Chloe's parents greeted her warmly, but they were confused when they didn't see Chloe or Megan.

"Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Beale," said Beca.

"For the last time, call us Lynn and Will," said Chloe's mom.

"Okay, Lynn and Will," said Beca.

"What can we do for you? Where are Chloe and Megan? Are they okay?" asked Will.

"They're fine," said Beca. "Chloe doesn't know I'm here."

Lynn and Will looked at Beca expectantly.

"I'm here because..." said Beca. She paused and swallowed hard. "I want to marry your daughter. Chloe has made me happier than I ever thought possible, and I love Megan like she was my own flesh and blood. Nothing would make me happier than to have your blessing."

Lynn started crying happy tears and Will cleared his throat a few times.

"We'd love to have you as a daughter-in-law," said Lynn. Both Lynn and Will pulled Beca in for a hug.

"Thanks," said Beca. "Mrs...I mean, Lynn, can you tell me Chloe's ring size? I think I know what she'd like, but I don't know what size to buy."

"Sure," said Lynn. "And, really, at this point, maybe you should just call us 'Mom' and 'Dad.'" She and Beca chatted a bit and Lynn assured Beca that Chloe would like the design she had in mind.

Beca went straight to the jeweler's and found a ring like what she had in mind. It would take a week to have it correctly sized, so Beca would have to wait a little to propose.

* * *

It was Friday, and Chloe had just put Megan on the bus. She took time to slowly sip her coffee and relax a bit before catching up on patient charts. This weekend, she and Megan planned to sleep at Beca's. She no longer had to pack an overnight bag as Beca had given Chloe a drawer and some closet space at her place. She always had extra towels for Megan and Chloe, and she had Chloe's shampoo and body wash in her bathroom. Chloe had done the same for Beca. They'd settled into a routine of sleeping over at each other's places on Friday. That was always a night in, and they occasionally had a date night out on Saturday. Beca's stepsister Emily was always happy to babysit, and Chloe's parents were usually willing if Emily was busy. Things had been serious between them for a long time, and Chloe felt like she fell more in love with Beca every day.

Chloe picked Megan up from school and chatted with the teacher. She told Chloe that she thought Megan might be ready for potty training, and she suggested some reading material about the topic. It was specifically written about training people on the autism spectrum. Chloe wasn't sure she agreed that Megan was ready for potty training, but she figured a little research on the topic wouldn't hurt.

Chloe took Megan home and put her lunch on her tray. The feeding clinic taught Megan how to feed herself. It was messy and she took a long time, but she seemed to really like being independent.

Once Megan was done her lunch and Chloe had cleaned her up (Chloe joked that she should just take Megan outside and hose her down), she put Megan down for her nap. She called her mother and chatted for a bit, mostly updating her on Megan. Her mom suggested Chloe try the potty training anyway, but Chloe wanted to do more research. She really didn't want the aggravation if Megan wasn't ready. Megan didn't seem bothered by having a wet or dirty diaper, so Chloe had a feeling that she wasn't ready yet.

Chloe read one of the books on potty training that the teacher loaned her. Some of it freaked her out a bit. There was a case mentioned about a man in his twenties who was on the autism spectrum who didn't want to train because he liked the feeling of soiled diapers. Chloe hoped that wouldn't be Megan's fate. She skipped the rest of that section and moved on to the chapter about young children. It listed signs of readiness, and Chloe didn't feel any of them applied to Megan. She decided to put the potty training goal aside for now. Maybe Megan would be ready later. She was only three and a half, and some typical children weren't trained at her age either.

Megan got up from her nap, and Chloe walked her to the park to swing. She didn't do this as much as she used to because she didn't want to run into Gail again. It had been several months since the incident, but Chloe was still sensitive about their conversation. Luckily for her, the park was empty this time. Megan enjoyed the swing, and Chloe helped her climb the ladder to the slide. It was a skill she'd picked up at the feeding clinic. She was a little unsteady climbing the ladder, but she loved going down the slide.

As they were walking home, Chloe got a text from Beca that she was home and they could come over anytime. Chloe and Megan got right in the car and headed to Beca's instead of walking into the house.

* * *

Beca nervously paced as she waited for Chloe and Megan. "This is silly," thought Beca. "You and Chloe love each other, and she's going to say yes." She thought to herself how it wasn't too long ago that she had been lamenting the fact that she hadn't been in a serious relationship in years, and now she was about to propose. It seemed even crazier that she was going to propose to someone with a small child, but Chloe and Megan had wormed their way into her heart. She couldn't imagine life without them, and she wanted to make them permanent parts of her life.

She had picked up the ring from the jeweler on her way home, and she had the ring box in her pocket. She kept restlessly fiddling with it in her pocket. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the doorbell rang. She took a deep breath and reminded herself to relax so she didn't freak out Chloe or Megan.

Beca greeted the woman with a kiss, and her daughter with a peck on the head. Putting a smile on her face, she told them to come in.

"Dinner is in the oven. It should be ready soon," said Beca.

"Smells good," said Chloe. "What are we having?"

"I roasted a small chicken, and I made some stuffing to go with it. Is Megan okay eating that?"

"She should be. We just have to cut the chicken up really small."

"Would you like to cut it for her?" asked Beca.

"Yeah," said Chloe, bouncing Megan on her knee.

The oven beeped, and Beca took the chicken out. As she let it cool for a moment, she tried to calm her nerves. She kept her back turned to Chloe as she pulled out a little plate for Megan, trying to relax the expression on her face. Chloe was getting Megan's fork out for her.  _Alright_. Taking a deep breath, Beca handed Chloe the plate.

Chloe sat Megan in her booster, and she gave Megan her plate of food.

Megan picked up her fork, and managed to get maybe half of the bite of stuffing in her mouth. The rest went all over her bib and tray. Chloe took Megan's fork and picked up what she could from the tray. She put her hand over Megan's and said, "Try again." She helped Megan guide the food into her mouth. "Good job, Megan," she said.

They always limited themselves to one glass of wine while Megan was awake, finishing off the bottle after she was in bed for the night.

While Beca picked at her food, she could feel Chloe's eyes examining her. "Everything okay, babe?" Chloe asked.

"Fine," said Beca quickly. She took a sip of wine and started to eat. She was still kind of nervous, so she barely managed a bite.

"You're sure you're fine?" asked Chloe.

"I'm sure. I promise. Just...a lot on my mind, I guess."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Yeah, I should talk to you." She felt her mouth go dry and she took another sip of wine.

Before Beca could say anything else, Megan flung a forkful of chicken off of her tray and onto Chloe's plate. Chloe laughed, and said "I'm amazed any of this food goes into your mouth. Let's try again." She helped Megan get another bite of chicken. "Chew your food," she said. Megan had gotten better about chewing food, but Chloe still reminded her.

Chloe turned back to face Beca. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Beca was about to speak when Megan started hollering, "Bec! Bec! Bec!"

Beca turned to Megan, and saw her holding her fork out to her. "You want me to help you?" asked Beca.

"Bec!" hollered Megan again. This time she banged on her plate, sending bits of stuffing flying.

"Okay, Megan," said Beca, laughing. At this rate, Megan would be in high school before Beca could propose.

Beca switched places with Chloe so she could help Megan more easily. She put Megan's hand on her fork, and put her hand over Megan's to help guide her through putting food on the fork and the fork into her mouth.

"Bec," said Megan, more calmly this time. She held her fork out to Beca again.

"Beca?" asked Chloe.

"Yes?"

"You wanted to talk to me..." said Chloe.

"Right. Let me just finish helping Megan," said Beca.

Beca guided Megan through a few more bites of food before encouraging Megan to take a few on her own. Megan managed the last few bites independently, only spilling a little of her food.

"Good job, Megan!" praised Beca. Megan smiled.

Megan said, "Nana, nana, nana."

"You want a banana?" asked Chloe.

"Nana," said Megan.

"I got it," said Beca. She cut a banana into small pieces.

"Here's your banana," said Beca.

Megan happily fed herself the banana pieces.

"So, Beca..."

Beca got up from the table, pulled the ring box out of her pocket, and got down on one knee. Opening the ring box, she took a deep breath. "I love it when you are with me and fill my life with love. I never knew that I would love you this much. You are the best part of my life. When you are with me, I don't have a fear of anything. And when you hug me, it makes me forget everything. Thank you for doing this much for me. I love you so very much." She paused for a moment, trying not to trip over her own words. "Chloe Beale, will you marry me?"

Chloe burst into tears and nodded, too choked up to answer her. Beca slipped a beautiful white gold diamond solitaire on Chloe's left ring finger. As she stood up, Beca pulled Chloe into her embrace. Their lips touched and parted, and they shared a passionate kiss.

"So, I have another question for you," said Beca. "I love Megan like I gave birth to her myself. Would you allow me to adopt Megan so she can be ours, instead of just yours?"

"You want to officially be her other mom?" asked Chloe.

"Yes, I would love that," said Beca.

Chloe smiled and turned to her daughter. "Megan, what do you think? Do you want Beca to be your Mama?"

"Bec. Ma-ma," said Megan. Beca was now crying happy tears with Chloe.

"Oh my gosh! That was her first two-word phrase EVER!" exclaimed Chloe.

Beca picked Megan up out of her booster seat. "I'd love to be your Mama!"

"Ma-ma," said Megan.

"I have to call my parents!" exclaimed Chloe.

"Well, they won't be totally surprised," said Beca.

"You talked to them?" asked Chloe.

"Yeah. I wanted their blessing, and your mom helped me with your ring size and design."

"Oh, Beca," said Chloe, tearing up again and giving Beca a kiss.

Chloe called her parents, and this resulted in even more tears from her. She called each of her brothers. They were excited but quick to tease her about soon becoming "the old ball and chain."

Beca called her dad, stepmom, and stepsister first. They were very excited. She also shared that they would soon officially become Megan's grandparents (or aunt, in Emily's case). Her father was delighted and insisted they all come over for dinner soon. She called her mom as well. Beca wasn't very close to her mother, but she knew her mother would want to know and be excited for her.

The two women put Megan to bed, and then they called a few friends to share the news. Jessica, Flo, and Aubrey each screamed in excitement about the news and happily agreed to be in the bridal party.

Once they were done phone calls for the evening, the two women headed to the bedroom to get ready for bed. As they were cuddling, Beca wanted to bring up one more thing.

"Chlo?"

"Hmm?"

"I wanted to talk to you about one more thing."

"What's up?" asked Chloe.

"I want to take your last name."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Megan already has it, and I'm not terribly attached to my last name. It's much easier to change my paperwork than both yours and Megan's."

"Okay. Beca Beale. I like it."

"Me too."


	15. The Rehearsal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I got slapped hard with writer's block and ended up completely rewriting this chapter. Truth be told, I don't love how I wrote this one. Hopefully, I can finish the wedding chapter and have it out tomorrow, but no promises.

**The Rehearsal**

_Six Months Later_

It was the day of the wedding rehearsal. Beca, Chloe, Megan, the bridal parties, and the parents (and in Sheila's case, stepmother) of the brides all gathered in the church.

Chloe had chosen all three of her brothers to share the title of "best men" as she could never pick a favorite among the three of them.

Beca had chosen her stepsister Emily as her maid of honor, and Flo, Jessica, and Aubrey as her bridesmaids.

Megan had recently turned four years old, and she was going to be the flower girl. Beca and Chloe had decided that Megan would likely do best walking down the aisle with her Aunt Emily.

Beca's father and stepmother Sheila had quickly taken to the role of Megan's grandparents. She was calling them "Grandma" and "Grandpa" shortly after Beca and Chloe were engaged. Emily was thrilled to be able to call Megan her niece, and she smiled a huge grin any time Megan called "Emmy!" to get her attention.

Beca's mother had only met Megan for the first time when she'd flown into town two days prior. She'd asked Megan to call her "Nanny" and Megan had learned to say it quickly.

Megan was beginning to speak in two-word phrases now. She'd mostly adjusted to calling Beca "Mama," but she occasionally reverted to hollering, "Bec!" if she really wanted something.

Beca's adoption of Megan was finalized a month ago. Beca was thrilled to finally be able to officially call Megan her daughter.  After the engagement, Beca sold her house and moved in with Chloe and Megan.  Chloe had a fence installed for Treble.

* * *

The families and bridal party gathered at the back of the church. The pastor, Reverend Ann, quickly discussed how everyone would process down the aisle. Chloe's older brother Steven would seat Beca's mother, and her younger brother Danny would seat Beca's stepmother Sheila. Chloe's youngest brother Chris would seat their mother. After seating the mothers, each of the best men would take his place at the end of the aisle.

Beca's dad would walk her down the aisle first. She would be followed by her three bridesmaids – Flo, Jessica, and then Aubrey. Emily would walk Megan down the aisle, and then she would escort Megan to the front row to sit with Chloe's mother.

Chloe's father would walk her down the aisle, and then both fathers would give away their daughters. The rest of the ceremony was pretty traditional, but Chloe and Beca would be sharing their own vows.

The two brides would walk back down the aisle first, retrieving Megan from her grandparents, and they'd be followed by Emily and the rest of the bridal party.

It was time to begin the rehearsal. Chloe bounced around with nervous excitement while Beca stood still, looking a little nervous. "Penny for your thoughts?" asked Chloe.

"I just don't like being the center of attention," said Beca.

"You'll be fine. If you get nervous, just look at me, okay?"

"I will."

Reverend Ann stood at the front of the church and told the bridal party to begin. Everything went well until it was time for Megan to walk down the aisle with Emily.

Emily handed Megan the basket of flowers they'd brought to practice, and Megan threw the basket and screamed "NO!" She began to lay down on the floor, a behavior she'd recently started as a way to protest something, when Emily distracted her.

"Megan, do you want to walk with me?" she asked.

"NO!" She walked to the basket of flowers and picked them up and threw them again.

Chloe sighed in frustration. She'd had a feeling Megan wouldn't want to cooperate.

"Okay, no flowers. Do you want to walk with Aunt Emily?" she asked, trying to keep her tone even.

"Emmy," said Megan. "Elmo?"

Emily looked at her in confusion. "You want Elmo?"

"Elmo," said Megan. She walked over to Chloe's diaper bag and pulled out her Elmo doll.

"Hey, Chloe," said Emily. "Do you mind if Megan carries an Elmo doll instead of the flowers?"

Chloe laughed. "If it will get her down the aisle, she can carry anything she wants."

Emily knelt down to her niece. "Are you ready?"

"Emmy," said Megan. "GO!" Megan began to run down the aisle, but Emily caught up quickly. She grabbed her hand and got her to slow down.

"Walking feet," said Emily. She'd picked up on that term in her special education classes at Barden. It was much easier to tell children what they were expected to do, rather than tell them what not to do.

Megan didn't say anything, but she slowed down to match Emily's pace. She sat nicely with her grandmother when Emily sat her down. She played with her Elmo doll, repeatedly bouncing it up and down on her lap.

Chloe and her dad walked down the aisle, and they ran through the ceremony. Beca and Chloe did some "pretend vows" as both of them had written their vows privately, wanting them to be a surprise.

They walked to the front row to take Megan from her grandmother, and each took one of her hands as they walked back down the aisle. Chloe actually had to take Megan's wrist as Megan had insisted on taking the Elmo doll with her.

* * *

After the rehearsal was done, everyone headed to Beca's dad's house. He'd decided to make the rehearsal dinner a backyard barbecue. He had plenty of space, and he knew Megan would be more comfortable in a familiar location. Megan was a regular visitor at his house, and he and Sheila had even kept Megan overnight a few times. Megan would sleep in Beca's childhood bed in her childhood room. Her first overnight stay had been a little rough, but she had adapted very well after that.

Chloe prepared a plate of food for Megan while Megan sat on her Aunt Emily's lap. Megan giggled as "Emmy" sang Sesame Street songs to her. Emily sat Megan in her booster chair as Chloe gave Megan her plate. Megan immediately screamed, "BEC!"

"Can Mommy help you?" asked Chloe.

"NO! BEC! BEC! BEC!"

"You want Mama?"

"BEC!" Megan yelled as she was about to throw her sippy cup across the room. Emily took the cup from her before disaster struck and handed it to Chloe.

"I'll go get Beca," said Emily. Chloe tried to get Megan to eat for her, but Megan refused.

"Okay, Mama's here," said Beca.

"BEC!" said Megan, holding her fork out to her mama.

"You can do this yourself," said Beca. "I'll help you this time, but then it's your turn." She put her hand over Megan's and guided her to take a bite of food. "Okay, now you do it yourself."

Megan took a forkful of food and got most of it into her mouth.

"Good job!" praised Beca.

Chloe got Beca a plate because she figured the meltdown would start again if Beca left Megan's side. Megan managed to eat the rest of her food independently. She still made a bit of a mess, but she'd gotten considerably better in the past several months.

Once Megan was fed, Beca and Chloe were able to spend a bit more time with their guests. They presented the bridesmaids and maid of honor with new necklaces to wear for the ceremony. They were silver with a heart pendant with each girl's first initial. The best men were given Swiss Army knives as their gifts. Megan was given a tee shirt that said: "I love my moms."

As the party was breaking up, Chloe got Megan ready to go. Beca had planned to stay the night with her father. Neither Chloe nor Beca put any stock in the superstition that it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding, but both women had wanted to keep their wedding attire a surprise for the other one. Beca had already brought over her wedding attire and stored it in her closet in her old bedroom.

Chloe bid a tearful goodbye to Beca. Beca gave Chloe a lingering kiss on the lips. "It's one night, Chloe. We'll be okay."

"But I'll miss you, Beca. Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"I'll miss you too, and the same goes for Megan and Treble, but I really want to be surprised when I see you walk down the aisle."

Chloe sniffled.

"Chloe, you should go. Get our beautiful girl to bed, and give Treble a couple treats for me."

"I love you, Beca."

"I love you too, and I can't wait to marry you tomorrow." She gave Megan a quick peck on her forehead and her fiancee another long kiss. She wrapped both of them in an embrace before walking them out the door.

* * *

That night, Beca climbed into her childhood bed that now had bars on it for Megan's safety, and she smiled to herself. She'd officially become a mother the previous month, and she'd be a wife the next day. She couldn't be happier.

However, sleep did not come easily. Beca was nervous about being the center of attention. She hoped her nerves wouldn't get the better of her the next day. She remembered what Chloe had said at the rehearsal and resolved to just look at her fiancee for reassurance if she felt nervous. Chloe had the ability to instantly calm her with one look, so she knew she'd be fine.

* * *

Back at the house, Chloe put Megan to bed. She was surprised that Megan had gone to bed so easily, fully expecting her to whine for her mama again. Beca and Megan had bonded instantly, and Chloe found her daughter asking for her mama more often every day.

She put herself to bed shortly after getting Megan down for the night, and sleep did not come easily for her either. She was used to sharing a bed with Beca, and her bed felt huge and lonely. She tried to remind herself it was for one night, and that it would all be worth it when she and Beca saw each other for the first time the next day. She took out the paper with her wedding vows from her sock drawer and went over them again, confident that she'd managed to put her feelings into words.


	16. Morning of the Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the delay with this chapter. Writer's block is no fun.

**Morning of the Wedding**

Beca found herself wide awake around 5 am. She was normally up around 6 due to Megan being an early riser. She was too excited and nervous about the wedding to sleep any longer. She didn't want to wake her father, stepmother, or stepsister, so she quietly walked down to the living room and watched TV with the volume low.

Her father came into the living room around 5:30. "You okay, Beca?"

"I'm fine, Dad. I just couldn't sleep. I guess I'm a little anxious."

"About marrying Chloe?"

"Oh, no. I've never been so sure about anything in my life. I'm just not wild about all those people watching me, and I'm scared I'm going to forget my vows and embarrass myself."

"Just bring the paper with you in case you get nervous. Just look at Chloe and think about how you feel about her. I think when you and Chloe are up there, you won't feel like anyone else is in the room."

"I hope so, Dad. I love her so much and I don't want to ruin the day."

"At the end of the day, you'll be married. Whatever else happens isn't important."

Beca nodded, feeling a little better. "Thanks, Dad."

"How about I start some coffee for us? Sheila will be up shortly."

"Sounds good."

Beca sent a quick text to Chloe. 

_Good morning, my love. Can't wait to call you my wife!_

Sheila came in and made breakfast for everyone. Beca picked at her food.

"Beca, you have to eat," her dad gently reminded her.

"I know," she quietly responded. She managed to finish her breakfast slowly.

Emily came bounding into the kitchen. "Beca! It's your wedding day!" She was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Calm down, Emily. You're more excited than Beca," said Sheila.

"What's wrong, sis?"

"Nothing, Emily. I'm just nervous about all those people looking at me. You know I'm weird about that stuff."

"But you're marrying  _Chloe._ "

"Yeah, I am," sighed Beca happily. "Thanks for breakfast, Sheila. I'm going to go look at my vows again before we get our hair done."

Beca went back to her childhood bedroom and grabbed the vows she'd written. She hoped she'd done a good enough job expressing her feelings to Chloe. As she was reading through the vows she'd written, she looked at her phone and noticed she'd missed a text from Chloe.

_Good morning, Beca. I love you too, and I'm super excited to marry you today! I can't wait for you to be Mrs. Beale._

Beca smiled to herself. She was marrying Chloe today. No matter what else went wrong, it was going to be a wonderful day because she'd finally be married to Chloe.

* * *

Chloe was also up at 5 am. She'd managed a few hours of sleep, but she had a million butterflies in her stomach. She wasn't nervous about marrying Beca. In fact, she'd never been so sure of any other decision she'd made in her life. However, it was a big day. She'd been dreaming of her wedding day since she was a little girl, and she and Beca had spent the past six months making the wedding plans.

Chloe tried to relax in her bed for a while, knowing that Megan would likely be awake in an hour. There was no relaxing once Megan was up and about! She spent about ten minutes in her bed before giving up altogether. She let Treble out and fed him, made herself some coffee, and managed to eat a small breakfast. This helped calm the butterflies a bit.

A text came through from Beca while Chloe was waiting for Megan to wake up. She smiled at the note from her fiancee and sent one back. She was missing Beca, and it warmed her heart to read that Beca missed her just as much.

Megan was up at 6 am like usual. Chloe changed Megan's diaper and put on a Sesame Street DVD while she prepared Megan's breakfast. Just as Chloe was putting Megan in her chair, Megan said, "Mama?"

"We'll see Mama later. She's with Grandma and Grandpa. Eat your eggs and toast."

"Toas. Ok."

Chloe was relieved that Megan's favorite breakfast was enough to distract her. Beca usually took care of Megan's breakfast as she got into the office later than Chloe.

Megan happily ate her food, managing to get most of it in her mouth. Chloe had to help her a little bit with the eggs, but Megan had eaten the toast independently.

Chloe got Megan dressed for the day in clothing that would be simple to change. She didn't want Megan in her flower girl dress any earlier than necessary, knowing that very fancy dresses on very little girls don't stay clean for long.

Chloe's parents came by around 9:30. Chloe's dad stayed with Megan while Chloe and her mother went to the salon to have their hair and makeup done. Chloe brought her veil with her so the hairdresser could attach it for her.

Chloe chose to have a simple updo in her hair. Her veil was on a tiara with the tulle attached by Velcro so she could remove it at the reception. She didn't want the veil bothering her while she danced. She happily chatted with her stylist while she got her hair and makeup done.

Chloe and her mother came back around 11. Her brothers were due at the house around 11:30, as was the photographer. She took the half hour to go over things with her parents. Her parents had agreed to stay at the house with Megan while Beca and Chloe were on their honeymoon. This would make it easier to follow Megan's routines, and they didn't have to worry about boarding Treble.

She ate a small lunch, making sure Megan ate as well. She gave Megan some chicken nuggets, knowing that Megan wouldn't likely refuse to eat them or make a mess.

Chloe's mother took care of Megan after lunch, insisting that Chloe didn't need to spend her wedding day changing diapers. Chloe put on her wedding gown, a strapless white gown with a simple train. She was amazed at her reflection in the mirror. She couldn't believe her wedding day was finally here!

Chloe's brothers arrived one by one right on time, and she was amazed at how great they looked in matching tuxedos.

"You clean up well," said Chloe to Steven.

"You too, sis," he said, giving her a hug. "Ready to be the old ball and chain?"

"That joke is old, Steven," said Chloe. "But I don't care what you call me as long as I get to marry Beca."

Danny arrived next, greeting her with a warm embrace. "You look amazing! Beca's going to be speechless!"

"Thanks," said Chloe, blushing.

Chris walked in. "Wow," said Chris.

"Just wow?"

"Yeah. Wow."

Megan ran into the room when she heard her uncles. "Kis! Nee-Nee! Tee-Ven!" She couldn't quite say the word "uncle" yet, nor could she pronounce their names correctly. None of the three minded and all of them quickly started chasing her around Chloe's living room.

"Guys! Stop! You're going to get her all riled up, and then she'll never calm down for the wedding."

"Sorry," said Steven. Danny and Chris nodded, and Chloe's mom Lynn took Megan to her room to try and get her to calm down. It was time to get her in her dress and do her hair.

"BEC! BEC! BEC!" could be heard from Megan's room.

"No, honey, Mama's not here," said Lynn.

"BEC!" yelled Megan again.

Chloe came in to see what was causing all the commotion. Lynn had a hairbrush in her hand, and Megan was smacking the brush away. She was in her dress, but she was crying for her mama.

"She won't let me do her hair," said Lynn.

"Let me try," said Chloe.

Chloe grabbed the brush, and Megan continued screaming, "BEC! BEC! BEC!"

"Can Mommy do your hair?" asked Chloe.

"Mama," said Megan.

"She's only really ever let Beca do her hair," Chloe explained to her mom.

"Want me to text her?" asked Lynn.

"I don't want to bug her, but I guess. I know I'd want to know if I were Beca," said Chloe.

Lynn texted Beca.

_Hi! Sorry to bug you, but Megan won't let anyone do her hair except for you._

Beca immediately texted back.

_Not surprised. Can you bring her to my dad's? I'll be here for another hour. That way she can still be in pictures with Chloe and her uncles before the wedding._

"Hey Chloe, is it okay if I bring Megan to Beca's dad's real quick? Beca said she'd do Megan's hair if I bring her over now."

"Only if you don't mind."

"I wouldn't have offered if I minded."

Lynn texted Beca.

_On our way. Be there in fifteen minutes._

The photographer arrived just as Lynn and Megan were leaving. "Someone insists on Mama doing her hair today," Lynn said to the photographer. "We'll be back soon. Please start without us."

Chloe had a great time posing for the photographer. She wasn't camera shy anyway, and she really enjoyed having her photograph taken. She posed with her brothers, each individually and then as a group, and they took advantage of the extra time to take a few silly photos. Chloe really hoped the photos captured the fun relationship she had with the three of them.

Lynn and Megan returned with Megan's hair done nicely in pigtails. Chloe had wanted her to wear flowers in her hair, but Beca had talked her out of it. Considering Megan's refusal to have her hair put into pigtails by anyone other than her mama, Chloe had to agree with Beca's decision.

Megan looked so cute in her little short-sleeved white dress. They'd chosen a knee-length dress, knowing that Megan would likely refuse to wear anything longer than that. It seemed that spending some time with Beca had also put Megan in a much more cooperative mood, so she did a pretty good job having her photograph taken with her mom and her uncles. She ran around a little, but everyone found that she cooperated really well if they sang Sesame Street songs and/or waved her Elmo doll.

The limo arrived just as they were finished taking pictures, so Chloe, her daughter Megan, and her brothers, and her parents piled into the limo. The driver put on the radio, and Megan immediately yelled "ELMO!" Thankfully, Chloe had a Sesame Street CD in the diaper bag, and everyone thought it was so funny that they were riding to Chloe's wedding while listening to Elmo and Big Bird sing about the alphabet.

* * *

Just as Beca was going over her vows again, her phone blinked with a text from her future mother-in-law, Lynn. She laughed when she read it. Apparently, Megan was refusing to let anyone do her hair. She had an hour before she had to get her hair done and meet the rest of the bridal party, so she asked Lynn to bring Megan over. She missed her daughter, and it was the perfect excuse to see her.

Lynn came over with Megan, and Beca teared up a bit at the sight of her little girl in her flower girl dress.

"MAMA!" yelled Megan. Beca scooped her up immediately into a hug.

"I missed you, sweetheart!"

"Mama," said Megan, snuggling into Beca.

"Okay, can Mama do your hair now?" asked Beca.

"Hair," said Megan, handing Beca her brush. "Song?"

"Okay, I'll sing the hair song," said Beca.

Lynn asked, "Hair song?"

"Yeah, it's the only way she'll let me do her hair. Music therapy trick, I guess," said Beca, smiling.

_This is the way we brush our hair, brush our hair, brush our hair  
_ _This is the way we brush our hair so early in the morning_

Beca sang it repeatedly until she'd successfully gotten Megan's hair into pigtails.

"All done. You look so pretty!" exclaimed Beca.

"Pitty, said Megan.

"That's right. Good talking!"

"Megan, we need to go back to Mommy. Say goodbye to Mama."

"Bye-bye, Mama."

Beca gave her a hug. "Bye, Megan. See you soon."

Just as Lynn and Megan were leaving, Emily came down. "Beca, we need to go get our hair and makeup done."

"Let's go. Can you text the others and make sure they're on their way?"

"Sure. I'm the maid of honor, so you can boss me around all you want today."

"Relax, sis. I'm not a bridezilla."

"It's the one day you can be if you want."

"That's not me and you know it."

Emily texted the rest of the bridal party. Aubrey was already at the salon, and the other two were on their way.

Beca had chosen not to wear a veil. She was actually not even going to wear a dress, just a pantsuit. She was surprised Chloe had agreed to the idea. She chose to have simple makeup done and to just have her hair curled in loose waves. The bridal party was free to choose their own hairstyles.

Everyone was done at nearly the same time, so they headed to Beca's dad's to get ready together.

Beca had chosen a line of bridesmaids' dresses that coordinated, rather than forcing all four women to wear the same dress. All four of them were different shapes and sizes, and she didn't want anyone to hate their dress. They were wearing dark purple, a color that flattered all of them.

They had just gotten ready when the photographer arrived to take photos. Beca's mom had come over as well to get some mother of the bride photos with Beca.

Beca was a little uncomfortable to have so many pictures taken of her, but she quickly got used to the flash constantly going off in her face. She just hoped she didn't panic during the ceremony.

She finished getting photos taken and piled into the limo with her family and bridesmaids. They happily chatted on the way to the church.

Beca sent Emily to make sure Chloe was out of the way before getting out of the limo. She and Chloe both wanted to experience the "wow" feeling when seeing each other for the ceremony. Emily came back five minutes later to assure her sister that the coast was clear. Chloe was already at the church, tucked away in a bride's room with Megan.

Beca walked into the church and was immediately greeted by her future brothers-in-law. Steven gave a wolf-whistle at the sight of Beca in her pantsuit.

"Chloe is a lucky girl. If I weren't a married man..."

"You still wouldn't have a chance. I don't like dudes like that," laughed Beca. Steven chuckled.

"I can't wait for you to officially be part of the family," said Chris. Danny nodded in agreement.

Reverend Ann came to the back of the church to check on everyone. Beca was restlessly pacing back and forth, looking again at the paper where she'd written her vows. She had them memorized, but she was nervous that she'd mess up when saying them in front of everyone.

"Are you ready?" she asked Beca.

"I've been ready since the day I met Chloe," replied Beca after a deep breath.

"I felt the same way when I married Theresa," she said, smiling. "Let me check on Chloe, and then we can get started."

* * *

Reverend Ann stepped into the bride's room to see Chloe. She was singing Sesame Street songs with Megan. Chloe stopped when she heard the pastor clear her throat.

"Hi, Reverend Ann!" exclaimed Chloe.

"Hi," said Megan, holding her Elmo doll up to Reverend Ann.

"Hello, Elmo," said the pastor. Megan smiled and began to walk around the bride room, waving her Elmo doll in front of her face.

The pastor smiled at Chloe. "You look gorgeous!"

"Thanks," said Chloe, shyly. "How's Beca?"

"Ready to marry you for sure. Ready to start?"

"Totes," said Chloe, grinning from ear to ear.

"Let's get started. I'll signal the choir, and I'll have Emily come and get you when it's time to leave the bride room."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry to stop here, but writer's block is getting in the way of my doing the ceremony justice.


	17. The Wedding

**The Wedding**

Reverend Ann walked to the front of the church and signaled the choir and organist to begin. Chloe's brothers seated the mothers and Sheila and took their places at the front of the church.

Beca's dad turned to her and said, "I think we're up. Ready to do this?"

Beca smiled, and replied, "Ready. Let's go!"

Beca walked down the aisle with her dad, flashing a huge grin. She'd been nervous up until that moment, but she was way more excited than nervous now that it was time for the wedding. She was marrying Chloe, and she couldn't be happier. She didn't even mind all of those people looking at her anymore.

They made their way to the end of the aisle, and her dad held hands with her while they waited for the bridesmaids to make it down the aisle.

* * *

Chloe heard the music begin and waited somewhat impatiently in the bride room with Megan. After a minute or two, Emily poked her head in the door. "Okay, Chloe, Beca and her dad are at the end of the aisle. I'll take Megan. Your dad is right here," said Emily, bouncing up and down with excitement.

"EMMY!" hollered Megan.

"Inside voice, Megan. Ready to walk?"

"Elmo?" asked Megan, holding the doll out to Emily.

"Yes, we can take Elmo."

"Go?" asked Megan.

"Let's get in line to go. Use walking feet," she gently reminded Megan.

"Ok, Emmy," said Megan. She held her aunt's hand with one hand, clutching her Elmo doll to her chest with the other.

Will walked into the bride room, marveling at how beautiful his daughter looked.

"Hi, Daddy," said Chloe.

"Hi, sweetie. Should we go do this now?"

"Totes. I can't wait to see Beca."

"Okay, Megan and Emily are walking now. Let's go."

Megan walked down the aisle with her Aunt Emily. She was holding her Elmo doll up to her face, waving it right in front of her eyes. Emily guided her niece to her seat with her grandmother and took her place at the front of the church next to her stepsister.

Everyone stood as Chloe and her father walked down the aisle. Chloe had a huge grin on her face as her father walked her down the aisle. She locked eyes with Beca. Her breath hitched and both women immediately began to tear up.

Chloe couldn't believe how gorgeous Beca looked in her white pantsuit. It was simple in style and totally fit Beca's personality. She took a deep breath in an attempt to fight her tears and flashed a smile and a wink at her bride-to-be. As they approached the front row, Megan yelled "Mommy!" and ran in front of them. Chloe stooped down and hugged her daughter.

"Hi, honey. Go sit with Grammy now," she quietly said to her.

"Gammy," said Megan as Lynn took her hand and guided her back to her seat.

Chloe and her dad made it to the end of the aisle to meet Beca and her dad. Both women hugged their fathers and then joined hands. "You look incredible," Beca whispered to Chloe as they walked to their place.

"You too," replied Chloe as they took their places. 

Reverend Ann smiled at the two women as she began the ceremony:

"Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Beca and Chloe a very important moment in their lives. In the time they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as wives."

She continued with an opening prayer, written by Robert Louis Stevenson:

"Lord, behold our family here assembled.  
We thank you for this place in which we dwell,  
for the love that unites us,  
for the peace accorded us this day,  
for the hope with which we expect the morrow,  
for the health, the work, the food,  
and the bright skies that make our lives delightful;  
for our friends in all parts of the earth.  
Amen"

"Beca and Chloe have chosen to write their own vows. Beca, please say your vows."

Beca looked over at Chloe with a nervous smile. Chloe shot Beca a wink and gave her a big smile. Beca took a deep breath and cleared her throat.

"Chloe, I'm so glad I walked into your house the day you began music therapy for Megan. I had no idea I'd be meeting the love of my life that day."

Chloe sniffled, and Beca opened the jacket of her pantsuit and handed her a tissue from her inside pocket. Several comments of "awwww" could be heard in the church.

Beca continued:

"I've fallen in love with you more and more in the time I've known you, and I look forward to spending the rest of our lives together. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know, and I count my lucky stars every single day because I get to call you mine.

Being in love with you has given me so much. My life has so much more meaning and purpose with you, and I feel extremely fortunate to be able to call Megan my daughter."

"Mama!" hollered Megan and everyone laughed.

Beca took a tissue for herself and wiped tears as she finished her vows. "Chloe, I love you so, so much. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity."

"Chloe, please say your vows," said Reverend Ann.

"Beca, from the moment I met you and saw you with my daughter, I knew I'd found someone special. You were patient with Megan, and you took the time to appreciate the person that is my daughter, rather than just seeing her as someone with autism. I don't think I could have imagined someone anywhere near as wonderful as you."

Beca handed Chloe another tissue. She dabbed at her eyes and continued.

"I promise to love you, to be your best friend, to respect and support you, to be patient with you, to work together with you to achieve our goals, to accept you unconditionally, and to share life with you throughout the years."

Reverend Ann said, "And now, a reading from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

"May I have Chloe's ring please?" she asked Emily. Emily handed her the ring.

"Beca, put this ring on Chloe's finger and repeat after me: Chloe, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

Beca placed the ring and repeated, "Chloe, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

"Chloe, put this ring on Beca's finger and repeat after me: Beca, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

Chloe placed the ring and repeated, "Beca, I give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity."

"I have known Chloe since birth, and I had the pleasure of meeting Beca about a year ago. The two share a bond and closeness that runs very deep. I feel like God made you two for each other. You complement each other's personalities. You show an unending amount of support and love for each other. I feel privileged to be the one to join the two of you in holy matrimony."

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you wives. You may now kiss each other."

Beca and Chloe shared a sweet kiss, and just before they were about to break the kiss, Megan ran up to her moms. "Mommy! Mama!" The two women laughed, as did most of the people in the church. Beca knelt down, scooped up their daughter, and put her on her hip.

"I now present to you Mrs. and Mrs. Beca and Chloe Beale."

Beca tried to set Megan down to walk between them like she'd done in rehearsal, but Megan wasn't having it. She just gripped her mama more tightly. Beca settled for putting Megan on her other hip so she could hold Chloe's hand as they walked back down the aisle, a family at last. The two women wore huge smiles on their faces, and Megan simply nuzzled into Beca's neck, murmuring "Mama, mama, mama."

As the rest of the bridal party walked to the back of the church, they all exchanged hugs and congratulations.

"Beca, you have no idea what you just got yourself into," Steven joked.

Beca replied, "I think I know exactly what." She and Chloe laughed and exchanged a small peck on the lips.

Megan had finally let go of Beca when Emily appeared with her Elmo doll in hand. She happily waved Elmo in front of her pace and walked circles around the back of the church.

Beca and Chloe greeted their guests in the receiving line and then got more pictures taken before heading to the church hall for the reception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Reception is in the next chapter! Thank you for your patience!


	18. Wedding Reception

**Wedding Reception**

The family members and bridal party lined up at the entrance of the church hall waiting for their introductions. Jesse, Beca's childhood neighbor, was the DJ. He quickly made sure he had everyone's names correct before beginning the introduction.

"Thank you all for celebrating the wedding with us. Let me introduce you to the family of the brides.

First, we have Beca's mother, Ellen Mitchell.

Next, we have Beca's father and stepmother, John and Sheila Mitchell.

Here are Chloe's parents, Lynn and William Beale.

Let me introduce the bridal party.

Bridesmaid Aubrey Posen escorted by Best Man and brother of the bride Steven Beale.

Bridesmaid Florencia Fuentes escorted by Best Man and brother of the bride Daniel Beale.

Bridesmaid Jessica Smith escorted by Best Man and brother of the bride Christopher Beale.

Flower Girl Megan Beale escorted by Maid of Honor and stepsister of the bride Emily Junk.

And, it is my great honor to introduce you to the brides as they share their first dance as wives, Mrs. and Mrs. Beca and Chloe Beale!"

Beca and Chloe had huge grins on their faces as they took to the dance floor. Jesse began their song, Flashlight. The two women gazed into each others' eyes as they swayed back and forth, quietly singing the song to each other. Beca could faintly hear Emily talking to Megan in an attempt to distract her from running onto the dance floor.

As the second verse of the song began, Jesse invited everyone to join the couple on the dance floor. Beca and Chloe had chosen to forego the tradition of having the bridal party do their own dance as they had an uneven number of members anyway. Megan ran toward her moms, and Emily caught up with her. Megan was starting to yell, "Mommy! Mama!" Chloe signaled Emily to bring Megan to join them. Megan happily grabbed Chloe's leg with one hand and continued to hold her Elmo doll with the other. Chloe picked up Megan and held her on her hip while trying to continue dancing with Beca. Megan waved her Elmo doll around, giggling. Beca couldn't help but smile and laugh as they shared their first dance as an official family.

After the song was over, Beca and Chloe took Megan and sat with her at the "sweetheart table." It had been Chloe's idea to have a small table for the three of them. Almost everyone in the bridal party was married to or dating someone who was not in the bridal party. She figured everyone would have more fun if they could sit with their dates. Considering the meltdown Megan had at the rehearsal dinner and had refused to eat unless Mama was feeding her, Chloe felt she'd made the right decision.

Jesse came over to Emily and handed her the microphone so she could begin her toast.

"Hi everyone, I'm Emily. I've been really lucky to have Beca as my stepsister for nearly ten years. Really, she's more like a sister to me, or at least what I imagine having a real sister would be like."

"EMMY!" hollered Megan, earning quite a few chuckles from the wedding guests. Chloe hushed Megan and handed her another Sesame Street doll from the diaper bag. Megan smiled and waved the dolls in front of her face.

"When Beca started working with Megan, I knew something special was happening. All of her clients are special to her, but this was the first time I'd heard about a client's mother.

Now, we're all used to Beca not being able to control herself around a cute girl..." Emily trailed off, noticing Beca rolling her eyes. Several wedding guests laughed.

"What? It's true!" Beca blushed and just shook her head.

Emily continued. "Anyway, I remember she talked to my mom and her dad about what to do. She didn't want to ruin her hard work with Megan, but she couldn't shake her feelings toward Chloe.

Lucky for everyone here, she took my mom and her dad's advice to try Megan with another therapist. We are so glad she did. And that's not just because none of us could have taken the pining any longer."

Beca just buried her face, but Chloe squeezed her hand.

"I'm so glad I've been able to officially call Megan my niece for the past month, and now I get to call Chloe my sister-in-law. So, let's raise our glasses in a toast to the new Mrs. and Mrs. Beale. Love you both!" Beca and Chloe smiled and each took a sip of their champagne.

Jesse took the microphone from Emily. "Thanks, Emily. And now, the three best men have prepared a toast."

Steven took the microphone first. "This is a toast? I thought it was a roast." Everyone laughed.

"Okay, well here goes anyway.

So, I have a lot of fun memories with my little sister Chloe. One of my favorites is when she was six and I was eight. We'd gone to Disney World on vacation. Chloe pointed to all of the American flags and asked my parents why there were so many American flags. Apparently, she didn't realize Florida was still part of the country." Chloe rolled her eyes at her older brother, but she was secretly thankful he hadn't chosen a more embarrassing story. Besides, that one wasn't so bad. She had been only six at the time.

Danny took the microphone from his brother.

"Another favorite story of mine involves the time Mom got her first microwave." He paused, seeing Chloe glare at him. "Okay, maybe I shouldn't tell everyone that story. I think I'd like to continue breathing."

"What's the microwave story?" Beca whispered to Chloe, surprised she hadn't heard that one.

"I'll tell you later," Chloe whispered back. This was probably one of her most embarrassing childhood memories, and definitely not something she wanted to discuss on her wedding day.

"Okay, well that was all I had, so I guess I'll hand the microphone over to Chris."

Chris took the microphone. "So, as the youngest, I always looked up to Chloe. That's because for many years she was taller than me, a fact she loved to remind me. Well, that was until I was about thirteen and I passed her in height. I now have to crouch down about six inches to make eye contact with her." Chloe crossed her arms in mock offense, but she laughed at her brother.

Steven took the microphone again. "Beca, we are so glad Chloe found you. No take backs, by the way, she's yours now!" Everyone laughed.

Danny and Chris joined Steven at the microphone. "Everyone raise your glass to toast the lovely couple. May Beca never realize how completely crazy our sister is!"

Everyone laughed as they toasted the couple.

Dinner was served, and the couple enjoyed their meal while also making sure Megan ate. By some miracle, Megan managed not to wear her food. Once she was done, her cousins asked Beca and Chloe to let Megan play with them. Megan had gotten better at playing with other kids since beginning preschool, and she happily followed as Ella took her hand.

Ella taught Megan how to "spin" her dress, meaning she spun around really fast so her dress would flare out. Megan giggled with her cousin, spinning in circles (while still holding Elmo) and squealing. The girls then began to chase their boy cousins. Megan didn't really understand the game, but she happily ran around with Ella.

Beca and Chloe took advantage of the fact that Megan was entertained to greet their guests. Chloe was surprised when they came to Aubrey's table. Seated next to Aubrey was Dr. Stacie Conrad, the psychologist who had diagnosed Megan.

"Hi, Dr. Conrad," said Chloe.

"Today, I'm just Stacie," she said, smiling.

"Beca, this is Dr. Conrad, I mean Stacie. She diagnosed Megan."

"Hi," said Beca, shaking her hand. She glanced at the place card.

"She's my plus one," said Aubrey before Beca could ask.

"Oh, well it's nice to meet you," said Beca. She was a little confused. Aubrey hadn't mentioned the name of her date. Beca wasn't sure if Stacie was a friend, a girlfriend, or someone else, so she didn't ask. She didn't want to embarrass Aubrey or herself.

"I see Megan's doing well," Stacie said to Chloe.

"Yeah, she's in preschool now and it's really helped." Chloe smiled as she watched Megan continue to run around the dance floor with her cousins.

"You know we have Aubrey to thank for this," said Beca.

"Oh?" asked Stacie.

"Yeah, if Aubrey hadn't started working for me and been willing to take over as Megan's music therapist, we would never have gotten together," said Beca.

"Well, I'm glad it all worked out," said Stacie.

After Beca and Chloe had greeted everyone, Jesse called the fathers to the dance floor.

"Okay, it's time for the father-daughter dance, or I guess it's more like fathers-daughters."

Beca and Chloe happily took the dance floor with their dads, dancing to "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban. Both women chatted quietly with their dads, trying not to tear up to the beautiful song.

Once that was done, they went to cut the cake. The two women cut the cake, and both made a motion like they were going to seriously smash the pieces into each other's faces. Instead, both women fed each other the cake, just getting a little frosting on each other's noses. Chloe laughed as Beca gave her a kiss on the nose and licked off the frosting. Beca laughed harder when Chloe did the same to her.

More dancing continued, and Chloe laughed as her brothers made fools of themselves trying to dance.

Another slow song played, and the wives danced together. They smiled as they saw Jessica and Bryan sweetly dancing together. Bryan had recently proposed to Jessica, and she had a gorgeous diamond on her left hand. Flo and her boyfriend Matt looked awfully cozy. Matt was over a foot taller than Flo, but they were adorable to watch, even though she was too tiny to put her head on his shoulder, even in high heeled shoes. However, both women were shocked when they spotted Aubrey. She was dancing awfully close to Stacie, and the two shared a long kiss at the end of the song.

They saw Aubrey pull away from the kiss. She locked eyes with Beca and immediately turned bright red.

Beca walked up to Aubrey with a smirk and said, "Your 'plus one,' is she?"

"Plus one, girlfriend, reason she moved back to town, whatever," said Stacie, smirking.

"So that's why you moved back. Why didn't you tell us?" asked Beca.

"You didn't ask," said Aubrey.

"Well, I'll give you that. I'm happy for you two. You should have Stacie hang out with all of us some time," Beca said.

"I'd love to," said Stacie.

Jesse got everyone's attention. "It's time for the last song of the night. The brides have chosen to dedicate this one to their daughter Megan."

Beca and Chloe took Megan's hand and had her dance with them while "Sing" from Sesame Street played over the stereo speakers.

* * *

Beca, Chloe, and Megan piled into the backseat of Lynn and Will's car. The two women were already packed for their honeymoon; they just needed to change clothes and grab their suitcases. They had an early flight the next morning and wanted to spend their wedding night somewhere special, so they'd booked a room at an airport hotel.

They walked to the front door, and Chloe stopped Beca before she could walk inside.

"What was that for?" asked Beca.

"It's tradition," Chloe singsonged.

"Like we do anything traditionally," laughed Beca.

"Please?" Chloe asked, pulling out her signature pout and puppy dog eyes.

"You don't play fair," Beca replied. She was a sucker for the pout and puppy dog eyes and she knew it.

"I'll carry you," said Chloe. Before Beca could protest, Chloe had picked her up bridal style.

"Why are  _you_  carrying  _me_?" asked Beca.

"Because you're smaller, silly," replied Chloe.

Beca chuckled as Chloe carried her across the threshold.

"Mommy!" yelled Megan. She pointed to the threshold. "My turn."

"You want me to carry you?"

"My turn," Megan repeated.

Beca laughed as Chloe obliged their daughter.

Will walked to the front door and said, "Me next."

"Not on your life, Dad," laughed Chloe.

"Just checking," he replied.

Lynn took Megan into her room to get her ready for bed while Beca and Chloe changed out of their wedding attire. Will took Treble out of his crate, let him outside, and fed him his dinner.

Beca and Chloe headed to their bedroom to change clothes. As soon as the door was shut, Chloe pushed Beca against the door, crashing their lips together in a heated kiss. Beca moaned into the kiss but broke it after a minute. "Chlo, we need to get ready to head to the hotel. There is plenty of time for that when we're alone in our hotel room."

"I can't help it. You're so hot, and now you're my wife."

Beca blushed. "I love you, Chloe, but keep it in your pants maybe until we're in the room?"

Chloe pouted. "If you say so."

"Do  _not_  pull that pout on me. Save it for something more important."

The two women changed their clothes quickly, and Beca called an Uber. They headed to the living room to say goodbye to Lynn, Will, Megan, and Treble.

"Have a great time on your honeymoon, girls," said Lynn.

"Don't worry about a thing. We have it all covered," said Will.

They hugged Chloe's parents and knelt down to say goodbye to their daughter.

"Mommy and Mama are going away for a little while. Be good for Grammy and Granddad."

"Ok. Be good," said Megan.

The two women embraced their daughter and waited out on the front porch with their suitcases.

* * *

The two women loaded their suitcases in the trunk of their Uber and sat in the back seat. Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca and pulled her in for a kiss that rapidly went beyond PG.

"Chloe, wait until we're in the room," Beca whispered as they broke the kiss. "I am  _not_  consummating our marriage in the back of an Uber."

Chloe winked. "You sure about that, Becs?"

"Yes," she hissed.

Chloe settled for holding hands and exchanging a few chaste kisses for the twenty-minute ride to the hotel.

"Congratulations, you two," said their Uber driver as he pulled up to their hotel.

"Thanks," replied both women.

The two women checked into their hotel and headed to the honeymoon suite. They walked in, and this time Chloe found herself pushed up against the door of the room, Beca attacking her mouth.

"Wait!" exclaimed Chloe.

"Chloe, you've been all over me, and now you want me to wait?" asked Beca incredulously.

"It's just that...I bought something special for tonight. Mind if I change real quick?"

"You're just remembering now?"

"It's all your fault for being so sexy."

"Sorry, not sorry," said Beca. "I actually bought something too. I'll go change in the bathroom. Call me to come out when you're ready so we can surprise each other."

"Okay," replied Chloe.

Chloe quickly changed into the bridal lingerie she'd recently purchased. It was a white lace teddy with a matching thin silk robe. "Hey, Becs, I'm ready!" she called out to her wife.

"Me too, Chlo." Beca walked out of the bathroom in a black teddy with red roses.

Beca stopped in her tracks when she spotted her wife. She couldn't believe how amazingly sexy the redhead was in her bridal lingerie. She simply looked up and down her wife's gorgeous body until she heard Chloe say, "Beca, honey, my eyes are up here."

"I can't help it, Chloe, have you seen yourself?"

Chloe laughed. "Well, I do look in the mirror occasionally."

"Yeah, yeah, really funny. But, seriously, I can't get over how amazing you look in that."

"You're looking pretty damn hot yourself," Chloe replied. "Now, where were we?"

Beca pushed Chloe up against the door to the hotel room and said, "Here." She resumed the kiss they'd started earlier.

The lingerie didn't stay on either woman much longer. Chloe declared married sex "totes awesome."

They shared similar thoughts as they lay in each others' arms before falling asleep. Chloe had never thought she'd ever feel lucky to have a child with autism, but she may never have met Beca had Megan been typical. Beca was so glad she'd driven Emily to her volunteer event because it made her find her true calling as a music therapist.

Both women were so glad to finally be married. They loved the idea of waking up next to each other for the rest of their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: That's it for the main story. There's an epilogue to follow! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all of your support.


	19. Epilogue

**Chapter 15 – Epilogue**

_Two Years Later_

Beca sat up in bed at 3 am. She tried to nudge her wife awake, but Chloe just rolled back over. She shook Chloe's shoulder. "Chloe, get up."

"What?" asked Chloe, her voice thick with sleep.

"Chloe, it's time."

"Time for what?"

"Chloe, my water just broke." Chloe sat up in bed and snapped awake immediately.

"Okay, Beca. Are you sure?"

"Either that or the Hoover Dam just burst all over our bed," said Beca, pointing to the huge wet spot on the bed. She was so glad they had a waterproof cover on their mattress.

"Yeah, that's it. How are you feeling?" asked Chloe.

"It hurts, but it's not too bad yet."

"Okay, you get changed and grab some towels. I'll call my parents and the doctor."

Beca grabbed a clean pair of sweatpants and underwear and a few extra towels. She unfolded one of Megan's overnight diapers and shoved it in her underwear because she was still leaking like crazy. "I guess it's a good thing Megan isn't night trained yet," said Beca.

"Okay, my parents are on their way and the hospital is expecting us. Are you ready?"

"Well, I kind of have to be now. OWWWW!" Beca bent over in pain. "The contractions are getting worse."

Chloe rubbed Beca's back. "I'm here, Beca. I've been through this. You can do this."

"There weren't two of them when you did!"

"You have a point, but contractions are probably the same whether you have twins or not."

Chloe's parents arrived, still in pajamas. "You can take our bed, but you're going to have to change the sheets first," said Chloe. "Beca was in bed when her water broke, and I didn't get a chance to change the sheets."

"Sorry," said Beca.

"Oh, honey, don't be. My water broke in our bed with everyone except Chloe. You just bring those boys into the world and don't worry about us," said Lynn. She walked into the bedroom and began to strip the bed. "I'll wash everything so you have fresh, clean sheets when you get home."

"Thanks," said Beca before wincing in pain as another contraction hit.

Chloe drove Beca to the hospital. Beca was having contractions about five minutes apart, and they were getting progressively more painful. "Almost there, Beca. Hang in there," said Chloe as Beca squeezed her hand through another contraction.

They got to the hospital, checked in, and were put right into a room at labor and delivery. They hooked Beca up to monitors and saw the twins were tolerating everything well so far.

Four hours later, Beca pushed their first son, Anthony William, into the world. He weighed 5 lbs, 4 oz. After another half hour, Richard John entered the world at 4 lbs 11 oz. The two women were in love with the boys immediately.

Chloe gave Beca a hug and a kiss as the hospital staff was measuring the boys. "You did great, Beca. I love you so much."

"Thanks for holding my hand. Sorry I gripped so hard," said Beca.

"Well, I have been in labor before and I know how much it hurts," said Chloe. "I really am so proud of you."

"Thanks. They're pretty amazing, aren't they?"

"Totes."

"I'm so glad I got to carry them. Now we can say it's something we have both experienced."

A nurse brought Anthony to Beca to get him to try and breastfeed. Chloe helped Beca get him latched properly, and he had a great first try. She took him and changed his diaper as another nurse brought Richard over. He latched well too. Chloe laid Anthony down with Beca while she took Richard and changed him. Beca cuddled with Anthony and the two of them fell asleep in her hospital bed. Chloe laid Richard on her chest and soon fell asleep as well.

When they woke up, they took turns making phone calls to friends and family. Later that evening, Chloe's parents brought Megan to see her new brothers. She had a really cute "big sister" shirt on.

Megan was five now, almost six, was daytime potty-trained, and she had begun speaking much better. Her moms introduced her to Anthony first. "This is Baby Tony," said Chloe.

"Baby Tony. Hi," said Megan, waving to her brother.

"This is Baby Ricky," said Beca.

"Baby Ricky. Hi," said Megan, waving again.

She looked at her brothers for a few minutes before pointing to the TV in Beca's hospital room and asking for Elmo. Chloe found a PBS Kids channel, and that kept Megan happy. Megan climbed into bed with her mama, and Chloe joined them.

Chloe's mother took a picture of the two women in Beca's hospital bed with their three kids.

Chloe posted it on her Instagram. She captioned it with "If you think our hands are full, you should see our hearts."

And their hearts were full. Chloe finally had found the love of her life, and she now had three beautiful children. She didn't know what would lay ahead, but she knew she and Beca would support each other for the rest of their lives.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And that's a wrap! Thank you for all the support. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.


End file.
